Act 4You

Work where you want, Live how you want, and Be what you want to be in 2010

2010-06-20T22:38:00.001-04:00

This Manifesto is meant to inspire. Below you will find the stories of six different individuals each pursuing the untemplate lifestyle—each a founding member of the Untemplater team—describing in detail the ‘breaking point’ that made us want to build our own, unconventional lives, and what we’ve accomplished in a short amount of time.

The Untemplater Manifesto

Be The Surprise That Others Want To Have by Mike Lipkin

2010-06-04T13:36:00.000-04:00

I am again and again amazed by Mike's energy, inspiration and entertaining presentations. He is truly an outstanding motivator, a fountain of insights for anyone willing to become the best at whatever they're doing.

Herewith is an article very dear to me, where Mike is presenting seven steps to be taken in order to become Amazing! Enjoy!!

Be The Surprise That Others Want To Have

Toronto, 12pm, May 25 2010
Watch the video
Listen to the Podcast

It’s almost summer. The days are bright. The sun is warm. The foliage is full. Winter is over, and so is the recession. Or is it? The Canadian and the US economies will grow at over 3% this year? Or will they really? The stock market will rise by double digits this year. Or will it really?

Have you noticed that just when you think you’re there, you’re not? Just when you thought it was safe, along comes a spider to scare you all over again. For every solution, there’s a problem. It’s always something. And lately, the somethings seem to be bigger and nastier. Whether it’s the oil spills in the gulf, the financial crises in Greece, the volcanic explosions in Iceland, or the breakdowns in your own backyard, the living ain’t easy anymore. Everything is connected to everything. What you don’t know and don’t care about, will hurt you.

Our research indicates that people are tired of being surprised by surprises they don’t like. They’re more anxious. They’re more doubtful. They’re turning inwards to protect themselves against The New Volatility –lows that are lower than they used to be and highs that are not as high as they used to be.

The majority of us are in survival mode. We’re trying to get through the month before we get through the money. We’re trying to meet our obligations to others and meet their expectations of us. At work, it’s becoming harder to try harder. So many people are so resistant. It seems like they don’t have the time or the inclination to be truly open or receptive. Cynicism has become the new mental normal. If one approaches everything as a potential hoax or wipe-out, then disappointment is not an option. It’s a different kind of failure. It’s the failure that comes from avoiding failure. It’s the failure to act, take a chance, experiment and explore.

Cynicism at work leads to tension at home. Frustration knows no boundaries. If you can’t get no satisfaction in one place, you’re unlikely to find it in another. Love and money are joined at the hip – like it or not. When one’s livelihood is endangered, one’s quality of life diminishes. Joy and passion are directly correlated with one’s perception of reality. A tougher reality means it’s tougher to see the world the way one wants it to be.

That’s the good news. People want change. They want to achieve the results they’re banking on. They want to get back into their groove. They want to be the star they used to be – before the meltdown, before the divorce, before the injury, before the job loss, before the erosion of their assets.

That’s where you and I come in. We need to become the antidote to other’s malaise. We need to be the joy, the delight, the relief that others crave. We need to become the surprises that others want to have. We need to be the reason why people still believe in themselves and their ability to make a difference.

It’s easier than you think. The smallest action can have the most disproportionate consequences. One conversation can change someone forever. One statement can be exactly what the other person needed to hear. I know. This how I make a living. Every day, I motivate and inspire people to do things they would otherwise never have done. Over and over again, people tell me that just one thing I said to them shifted their attitude and refocused them on what’s really important to them. Motivation and Inspiration is my stock-in-trade. It’s what I sell. I am a merchant of hope and possibility. It’s all I do. But it’s a major part of what you do too.

So what do you need to do to become the surprise that others want to have? What kind of conversations do you need to have? What kind of actions do you need to take? What kind of standards do you need to achieve? What kind of contributions do you need to make? What kind of responsibilities do you need to take on? What kind of attitude do you need to have? What kind of person do you need to be?

In short, what will it take for you to be Amazing? I define “Amazing” as causing others to be delighted, thrilled, motivated, inspired, joyous, excited, or happy. When you’re Amazing, you restore others faith in their future. You remind them of what’s possible. You cause their rejuvenation. You become the bridge between where they are and where they can be.

Here’s what I know: over the past week, you have been Amazing. Maybe it was your impact on one person. Or maybe it was just for a few moments with a few people. Or maybe that’s who you already are. Now your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to consciously, constantly and committedly be Amazing. Say and do things that Amaze others. Make your goal causing others to be delighted, thrilled, motivated, inspired, joyous, excited, or happy and you’ll find you’re the primary beneficiary of your own Amazing behaviour.
So here are Lipkin’s seven steps to being Amazing (send me yours):

1.   Condition yourself for success. Be physically and mentally vibrant. Amazing others takes massive amounts of personal energy.

2.   Go deep on your specialty. Be extraordinarily competent. Know everything you can and can everything you know. Then share it with everyone who wants and needs it. The more you share, the more you grow. That’s why I’m sharing this with you right now.

3.   Reach out to strangers. Make the first move. Meet others much more than half-way. Open up the dialogue. Whether it’s at a cocktail party or a corporate event, initiate conversations with people you don’t know. And do it with authentic joy and love for them.

4.   Design what you do and say to cause others to be delighted, thrilled, motivated, inspired, joyous, excited, or happy. Whatever you do for a living, how can you make it Amazing? What do your colleagues, customers and communities really want from you? It may mean redesigning your process or your style. It may simply mean being aware of being Amazing. It may mean stepping back or leaping forward, but do it. Think Apple, Starbucks, Tim Horton, Sidney Crosby, Mandela, Your Grandfather, Your Newborn Niece, Clint Eastwood, Canada Goose, Cirque Du Soleil, Your Favourite Person, You-At-Your-Best.

5.   Make your environment your never-ending source of Amazing. Manufacturing your Amazing-Ability from within. Don’t rely on the situation or the people around you to Amaze you. If they do, that’s a gift. If they don’t, it’s an even greater gift. Remember: the time to be Amazing is when it seems impossible to be that way.

6.   Build a reputation for being Amazing. Train people to expect you to be Amazing. Then kick it up a notch every time. In a world where most people are concerned with their own survival, being fully committed to others “thrival” will fuel your Amazing Ability. Make big promises and then over-deliver. Risk yourself. Share yourself. Be yourself – at your best. Use all the media available to you. Make it viral. Encourage others to talk about your contribution and reward them for it. Appreciation is still the most valuable currency in the world.

7.   Inoculate yourself against cynicism. Give more than others expect, but don’t expect them to give you more. Treat reciprocation as a bonus. And don’t be derailed by others’ hostility. The more you expose yourself, the more vulnerable you become to criticism and even ridicule. It takes courage. It takes caring. Most of all, it takes an understanding of one primary truth: We all get just one life to share with everyone around us. So let’s live large and play big together.

I’d love to coach your team on the art of Being Amazing. So call me on 416-917-6007. And let’s light up some people together.

The Ten Qualities of Highly Successful Internationally Educated Professionals

2010-03-27T17:42:00.002-04:00

In this workbook, Mike Lipkin, President of Environics/Lipkin will walk you through The Ten Qualities of Highly Successful Internationally Experienced Professionals. Mike will also give you exercises to help you understand and apply these qualities. Then, you need to practise them until you become a highly successful IEP who inspires others to become the same.

Mike Lipkin's workbook "The Ten Qualityies of Highly Succesful Internationally Experienced Professionals".

Making An Effective Presentation

2010-03-16T11:23:00.000-04:00

Successful presenters understand that what the audience sees in a presentation makes a stronger impact than the words they hear. We've been wired to take in information primarily through our eyes ever since cave dwellers began looking over their shoulders for approaching mastodons.

Read more here.

From Forbes.com

Joachim de Posada says, Don't eat the marshmallow yet

2009-07-19T23:37:00.003-04:00

In this short talk from TED U, Joachim de Posada shares a landmark experiment on delayed gratification -- and how it can predict future success. With priceless video of kids trying their hardest not to eat the marshmallow.

Are you Black, Yellow or Red ... Pen Person???

2009-04-08T22:33:00.004-04:00

How do you solve your problems? What kind of techniques do you use?
In The Back of the Napkin , Dan Roam argues that a simple drawing on a piece of paper can be more powerful than any excel or power point presentation.
Our brains are hard wired to be visual, just remember when you were in kinder garden, you could draw pictures before you could read and write.

Hear Dan Roam talk about persuading people with pictures. Whether convincing leadership to back a project, getting a VC to fund a business, building consensus on a project team, or selling a new technology platform within an organization, nothing is more powerful than a simple picture for discovering and developing technological concepts and business ideas. This session shows how to use the pictures we've created to persuade other people to take action.

And, you should be drawing again and solve problems with pictures!

The Way of the Whiteboard: Persuading with Pictures

View more presentations from goodfriday.

Smile & Move motivating video

2009-04-02T21:22:00.000-04:00

Use the Smovie as a powerful and concise way to introduce the message at meetings and events (national corporate meetings, employee retreats, annual organization kick-offs, etc.).

Human Capital: Skillpower in the Digital Age by Denis Waitley

2009-03-24T20:55:00.002-04:00

Whether you own your own business, hope to start your own business or are a major player on a corporate or professional career team, this message is for you. From now on, you will be paid for your "human capital," your knowledge, skills, experience, creativity and adaptability, not on your past education, resume, number of years in the organization, rank, and position.

You earn an income by trading hours for dollars with a fixed salary. You create your fortune and your future security by selling your ability and creativity. You must act self-employed from now on, moving from employee to entrepreneur. No matter what organization you work for, you must take responsibility for your own career security and advancement by constantly improving your skills and contribution. You must consider yourself a permanent student and lifelong learner. The shelf-life of your formal education is about 18 months. So more than graduation from a university, you need a lifelong learning commitment. This means constantly upgrading your computer literacy and understanding of electronic commerce and the awareness that customer satisfaction will be the critical edge in personal branding of products and services in the new millennium.

This week, enroll in a language or other skill-building class that will make you more employable in the advancing world economy.
-- Denis Waitley

Ezine Archives - To review previous issues of Denis Waitley's Ezine, please go to: Ezine Archives

Reproduced with permission from the Denis Waitley Ezine. To subscribe to Denis Waitley's Ezine, go to www.DenisWaitley.com Copyright 2009 Denis Waitley International. All rights reserved worldwide.

New leadership qualities for the new economy

2009-03-19T11:36:00.000-04:00

The business world has changed with the shake-up of the economy, have you?

Leadership skills that might have gotten you through in the past, may not work in the new economy. Forbes.com highlights four ways to ensure you are a leader in these changing times:

Evaluate what’s missing from your personal leadership portfolio. Are there areas like finance, risk management or technologies that you need more background in? Now is the time to develop those skills.
Take an inventory of the people around you. Who has a skill you can learn from? Who may not be good at adapting to the new economy?
Engage in debate and conflict. Be able to accept debate, diversity of view and dissenting opinions.
Don’t go it alone. Have someone you can confide in.

How do you think managers should adapt?

Exceed Your Highest Expectations

2009-03-10T20:01:00.001-04:00

Positive expectations are powered by the faith that we can achieve our God given potential. They are not preconceived notions or demands that would limit us from receiving something greater than we initially expected. When we turn expectations into demands, they become attachments: beliefs that we cannot be happy without getting what we expected.

Expectation is a powerful, heart-based feeling filled with faith, commitment, and gratitude. Rather than an anxious state of mind, it allows our desires to manifest in the right way, in the right place, and at the right time. Yet, it is important that we remain aware and choose our expectations purposefully.

How many times have you found yourself "expecting the worst" while wanting the best? We must observe our thoughts and feelings each day. Dr. Maurice Nicoll once said, "Nothing is more useful or more interesting than to pull yourself up suddenly and notice where you are inside and where you are going."

The Law of Expectation states that whatever one expects, with confidence, becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Our external lives mirror our thoughts, feelings, and actions. We do not need to look far into our own histories to see this truth. So how can we exceed our highest expectations? We can do so by being willing to receive not only what we expect, but what is in our best interest. We must allow each expectation to manifest in its best way and time without force or demand.

Think of one of your primary objectives. Describe your desired outcome in detail. Then ask yourself: What do I expect to receive, and am I willing to allow that expectation, or something greater, to become a reality in my life?

Our highest expectations need not have limits.

Exceed your highest expectations today by taking actions necessary to fulfill your dreams. Allow the seed of each one to germinate and grow to its greatest potential. Invite the universe to meet or exceed your greatest needs and desires, allowing room for God's wisdom to bring you every blessing you could imagine. Then, enjoy each moment in joyful anticipation and gratitude for all the blessings you will receive.

Wishing you the greatest success!

© Copyright 2009 by Steve Brunkhorst. All rights reserved worldwide. Steve is a professional life strategies coach, inspirational author, and the editor of Achieve! 60-Second Nuggets of Inspiration. Find many resources for achievement by visiting www.AchieveEzine.com. Contact Steve at www.AchieveEzine/Contact

The Dead Horse - I hope you can enjoy a joke from a financial analyst...

2009-03-06T13:53:00.000-05:00

Some years ago Chuck in Montana bought a horse from a farmer for $100.
The farmer agreed to deliver the horse the next day.
The next day the farmer drove up and said, "Sorry, son, but I have some bad news...the horse died."
Chuck replied, "Well, then just give me my money back."
The farmer said, "Can't do that. I went and spent it already."
Chuck said, "OK, then, just bring me the dead horse."
The farmer asked, "What ya gonna do with him?"
Chuck said, "I'm going to raffle him off."
The farmer said, "You can't raffle off a dead horse!"
Chuck said, "Sure I can; watch me. I just won't tell anybody he's dead."
A month later, the farmer met up with Chuck and asked, "What ever happened with that dead horse?"
Chuck said, "I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at two dollars apiece and made a profit of $998."
The farmer said, "Didn't anyone complain?"
Chuck said, "Just the guy who won. So I gave him his two bucks back."

Chuck grew up and now works for the federal government. He's the one who figured out how this "bail-out" is going to work.

The Story of Stuff

2009-02-28T17:23:00.000-05:00

The Story of Stuff will take you on a provocative tour of our consumer-driven culture — from resource extraction to iPod incineration — exposing the real costs of our use-it and lose-it approach to stuff.

First rule of leadership

2009-02-28T17:11:00.003-05:00

Enron, Worldcom, Tyco vs. Fannie/Freddie

Greed is Good

The WorldCom story

Conrad Black

ENRON

"Now in 2008/2009 we are in a midst of another crisis so much larger than Enron encompassing so many of the same players. This time these players like Merrill Lynch and Citibank are not so lucky to get away unscathed. When the Reagan and Republican revolution took control in both the 80's and 90's deregulation and a smaller government stake was pushed, all of business applauded the idea and for the most part we prospered. Yet that wild card kept getting in the way of true prosperity. During the Reagan, Bush, Clinton and W. Bush era's greed did rear its ugly head in the form of the Savings and Loan crisis, The Enron crisis, and now the Sub-prime mortgage and mortgage backed securities crisis. Why is it that we still have not learned the lessons of the past that greed always destroys (in the end) that of which it built." Greed: The Wild Card variable in Business Ethics by Dr, Duane Scott

Article Source:
http://www.bestmanagementarticles.com
http://business-ethics.bestmanagementarticles.com

About the Author:
For more information or other topics by this author you can contact Dr. Duane C. Scott at www.christopherstudios.net.

Meditate Regularly For A Great 2009!

2009-02-17T15:09:00.001-05:00

I was a sporadic meditator at best for years, only to really commit to meditation when, just after turning 39, I discovered a mass in my right breast.

From the point of discovery of the mass to getting the necessary tests, waiting for results, waiting for surgery, waiting to see if the newly diagnosed cancer had spread to lymph nodes, waiting to see what treatment I would have, and so much more, there were times that I didn't think I could physically tolerate much more anxiety. I knew I had to do something to manage the stress and that I would need to make it a way of life. One of the weapons I chose was meditation.

Now before this, my thoughts about meditation followed the lines of:

"Everybody says that this is a healthy thing. I probably should be doing it."

"Some of the people who talk about meditation seem a little flaky. I guess I sit here and watch my breathing."

"Am I doing this right? Is this doing anything at all? Oh, look, there's another article on the benefits of meditation. I guess I should give it another try."

After the diagnosis of cancer, I began meditating regularly. Sometimes I missed a day or two, but I kept returning to the practice. What I found was that, while I didn't notice results overnight, eventually I noticed a few improvements:

A calmer mind. If my mind was frantically hopping from thought to thought ("monkey mind" or "wild mind") at the beginning of a meditation session, by the end, it was always at least slightly calmer.
A brief rest from being anywhere other than the present. When my mind was filled with anxiety, it was always about that moment of time in the future that I might die or hear that I'd lost my job or something else. While in meditation, time and thought ceased.
Increased awareness of mental and physical state. I became more aware of my emotional reactions. A benefit of meditation is that it can help you almost step outside of yourself during a crisis and note things like "my stomach feels tight" or "my agitation over my boss's email is really escalating." Meditation seems to make you more aware of the choice to slow down and choose your reaction rather than just be helplessly tossed by patterned waves of emotion.

Fear and the Unknown
I had the opportunity to speak with spiritual counselor and meditation teacher Don Simmons about meditation, and he echoed my findings about meditation and fear.
"Meditation can help someone move through fear. When you deal with the unknown, meditation helps you observe everything that takes place without judgment. Then you move from reaction to action."
Right now, most of us are dealing with a great deal of the "unknown." With ubiquitous reports of a failing economy, layoffs, and families in despair, we may wonder if we're going to be the next casualty.

As Don told me, meditation enables you to tell yourself what is real and what is not. When you focus on breathing, you are focusing on one of the most basic ingredients of life. You are silently reminded that "My fears are not reality. I am here, right now. This is what truly matters -- that I am alive, that I have wellness, that I feel good."

A wise friend once told me, "any time you worry, you are living someplace other than the present."

Surprise: Meditation Helps with Productivity!
I would wager than many interested in productivity don't immediately think of meditation. After all, you're just sitting there, aren't you? How is that productive?

What I have found is that there can be as much false economy with time and energy as there can be with money. If I work four, 16-hour days in an attempt to get ahead, I'll ultimately wind up more tired and less productive than if I maintain balanced days.

In discussing this phenomena with Don Simmons, he described humans as having a masculine and feminine side.
"It's not about being straight or gay; it's about listening and talking, hearing and creation."
Your feminine side is that which dreams, incubates, and expands. Your masculine side is the action and manifestation. Don illustrated this with a boat: The rudder (feminine) guides the boat and asks the question "where do I want to go?" whereas the engine (masculine) follows through with the physical action to get you to your destination.

The key, says Don, is to be in perfect harmony.

And surely you've experienced harmony. Do you remember a time in which everything just seemed to click? You were "in flow." You seemed to have the Midas touch. You were on top of the world! This balance, this flow, is necessary for continued productivity without exhaustion.

So How Do I Meditate?
I have a few techniques that I use, but the most basic is simply to sit in a chair or on the floor and focus on my breathing. I use a digital timer that I set for 10 or 15 minutes.

What does it mean to focus on your breathing? Literally, focus on each breath as it enters your nose, slowly expands your lungs, and then leaves your body. Breathe naturally. If you wish, you can tailor this to your desires, such as saying silently, "I breathe in peace; I exhale stress."

This is a simple technique but very effective. Later you can become more advanced and read about hand positions (mudras), sitting positions, etc., but they are unnecessary for a successful beginning meditation practice.

What is absolutely necessary to meditate:

Choose a position that will respect your practice and keep you from falling asleep. Honor your body and bring integrity to your practice. Don says that "when you are in meditation, you are meeting yourself." If you were meeting someone you respect, you would likely make sure your body is clean and neat and dressed in clean clothes. You wouldn't slouch.
Try to meditate daily. Meditation, like learning a language, isn't for the weekend warrior. It is better to have short sessions of 5-10 minutes daily than sporadic, long sessions.

How Do I Know I'm Doing it Right?
Did you fall asleep?

Did you get up before your time was up?

Do you feel at least slightly better after meditation than you did before?

You're doing it right. The goal is to simply focus on your breathing, releasing thoughts as they come. Attempt to stay in a state of compassion and non-judgment.

Don shared an interesting illustration of work he has done as an animal trainer. As soon as the dog finally performed the trick, he was rewarded, and the training for the day abruptly ended. Why? Because the dog "got" it. You want to end on a positive note. Essentially, "you are training your mind for success," says Don.

Training your mind for success -- an idea that's absolutely in harmony with productivity! And If you still feel meditation is a little too "out there" for you, then consider the recent research that reveals actual physical changes in the brains of those who meditate compared with those who don't.

Here are a few supportive articles and sites that may help convince you that meditation is a worthwhile habit:

The Benefits of Meditation - Psychology Today
For Stress Reduction, Just Say Ommm - CNN
How Monks Find Their Happy Groove - CNN
The Mystic Path - Don Simmons

Liora Hess is a freelance writer from Atlanta, GA who also works as a medical editor, educator, and speaker. Follow her blog at streamofpeace.com.

Developing All-Star Employees with Francisco Dao

2009-02-05T23:40:00.001-05:00

What does it take to create a winning team? Here are five things you need to know.

The Brain That Changes Itself: Norman Doidge

2008-12-25T10:52:00.001-05:00

The discovery of "neuroplasticity," that our thoughts can change the structure and function of our brains-even in old age- is the most important breakthrough in neuroscience in four centuries.

THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING FINALLY GAINS SCIENTIFIC CREDIBILITY. MIND-BENDING, MIRACLE-MAKING, REALITY-BUSTING STUFF WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR ALL HUMAN BEINGS, NOT TO MENTION HUMAN CULTURE, HUMAN LEARNING AND HUMAN HISTORY. – THE NEW YORK TIMES

Jim Cathcart's BLOG POST: Intelligent Motivation: 10 Qualities of Keepers (tm)

2008-12-10T22:11:00.000-05:00

"Keepers" is the term I've applied to Productive Employees. These are the folks that you love to have in any company, whether you are a coworker, a customer or its owner.
Keepers are people who you want more of. You want to work with them more often, and you want keepers in every role in the organization. If you could find enough people like them you could change the world.
Here are a 10 traits that define Keepers:

Proactive: They exert initiative; when they see a need they just fill it. They don't wait for others to take action.
Honest: They tell the truth. In business the only news that is useful is the truth. And if it is bad news it is vital that you learn it soon.
Problem Solver: They get the job done. They don't just "try" to do things, they actually do them. Effort isn't worth much if it doesn't produce the desired outcomes.
Self-Reliant: They address their own needs. If they need information they go and get it. If they need resources they find them. If they need rest they pause and refresh. If they need assistance they ask for it.
Cooperative: They reach out to others. They realize that none of us is as smart or as capable as all of us so they think in terms of the entire team, not just their own ego.
Grateful: They appreciate others and are grateful for the "blessings" they have. Keepers are constantly thanking others for the jobs they are doing, thanking their bosses for the support and benefits, thanking their customers for doing business here. Others want to be around them because they exude gratitude.
Positive: They think optimistically. They look for solutions not just problems. They assume that "somewhere, somehow, there is a way." This causes them to see opportunities that others overlook.
Growing: They look for ways to become worth more to their customer and employer. Lifelong learning is their commitment and they don't wait to be sent to a seminar when they can get the information on their own. They realize that anyone who has stopped improving is now slowing dying.
Contributor: They don't waste time waiting to be told what to do. They look for productive ways to fill their time at work, ways to "move the ball closer to the goal." And they suggest improvements.
Curious: They want to learn not just how things work but also why they matter. It is said that, "The person knows HOW may have a job, but the person who understands WHY is their boss."

Keepers are the people who make this world a great place to be. The more productive employees a business has; the more customers it will have and the less employee turnover.

Other people like to work with Keepers.

Read the rest of the article at:
http://www.highvaluerelationships.blogspot.com

Clarity and Focus by Tony Robbins

2008-12-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

Hi Friend,

I've just put this latest free video up for you on my new blog:
Musts vs. Shoulds: The Power Of Clarity And Purpose

It's around 8 minutes long and should start playing for you automatically.

This video was shot at a seminar I taught in 2001 ...and in it you'll
discover the power of clarity and purpose.

(Plus you'll hear my "weird" story about meeting a homeless
man at 3 in the morning.)

Until next time, live with PASSION!

Tony Robbins

P.S. Please go and watch this video now because what I share with
you can and WILL help you.

It doesn't cost anything and it'll start playing automatically here:
Musts vs. Shoulds: The Power Of Clarity And Purpose

Observations about seeing opportunities ... by Ari Galper

2008-11-06T17:19:00.000-05:00

I’ve just finished off a fantastic wedding weekend here in San Diego.
It wasn’t mine, but my sister Eydie’s wedding.
After many years of being in the singles scene, she finally found her soul mate, Mark.
My toast at the dinner reception was called “The Perfect Handoff”, which was my way of saying that I can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing that she will now have a loving husband who will be there for her through life’s ups and downs.
I feel a sense of peace knowing she is now in good hands for the rest of her life.
Yesterday, after the festivities ended, I walked across the street from my hotel in downtown San Diego to get a bite to eat.
As I headed towards Horton Plaza, a large shopping mall in the center of downtown, I couldn’t help but notice the large number of people who were homeless on the streets and asking for money.

I grew up here in San Diego, so there were always homeless people in the downtown area, but yesterday I was shocked at how many I saw.
The interesting thing was that as I observed some of them, I could see and hear they were quite articulate and confident in the way they approached people who walked pass them.
Then I was thinking to myself “Gosh, as articulate as some of them were, with a little resourcefulness, they probably could quickly create a better life for themselves.”
I started to look up and down the street thinking about what resources there were within a 5-block radius of where I was standing that could be used to create a consistent stream of income.
To my left was a T-Mobile store.
For less than $50 you can get a prepaid cell phone to make and take phone calls.
Down the road and two streets over was a public library that has Internet access for free.
And in the Horton Plaza mall, there were some stores selling new shirts and pants for $10 to $30.
With these combined resources, a person could be well dressed, get an email address, access leads to call from the Internet and a complete communication system through a pre-paid cell phone.
On a larger scale, with all that’s happening in the economy, I started to think about what is going to separate those who reach new heights of success and to those who end up in a place they never intended to be.
Two words: Resilience and Resourcefulness.
I’ve put together 5 strategies for how you can re-calibrate your mindset to succeed in this new economy:

1. Be open to reinventing yourself
    So many people feel “stuck” only because they aren’t able to see themselves in a different place. I have a relative who has been in the same industry his whole working life, was recently laid off and refuses to reinvent himself to become marketable for a different industry that is growing super fast. Even with my continued suggestions to help reinvent himself, his comfort zone continues to remain in the same space that he’s always been.
   You’ll need to be completely open to observing new opportunities around you. Stepping out of your comfort zone is EXACTLY what is required to take you to a place were you can succeed with confidence.
2. Hang around with people who think differently
    You’ve probably heard of the term “Group Think”, were people make similar decisions based on the people they spend time with.
    First thing to ask yourself: “Are the people I spend time with innovators and challengers to the status quo?” If not, and all they do is react to the economic news broadcast by the media, then it’s time for you to align yourself with a group of people who take full responsibility for their own success.
3. Sales ability is one of the most important “must-have” skills in any economy
   If you can sell effectively, no matter what industry or profession you’re in, you’ll always have what you need. Selling is a fundamental skill that will always be required in ANY economic conditions. Someone is always looking to solve a problem, and if they can’t solve it themselves, they’ll pay someone who has the solution.
Your ability to find that person and create enough trust to prove that you care about helping them, is what will set you apart from everyone else.
4. Stay present
It’s so easy to be spending our day thinking about what might happen. You know what I mean, the “what if” thoughts that enter your mind that haven’t happened. It’s fruitless to be thinking about anything else but the present moment you are in.
Ironically, if you’re thinking about “what if” thoughts throughout the day, your subconscious will bring you those things you are thinking about.
Every couple of hours, set an alarm on your calendar that says “Where am I now?”. Then look around you, notice things that you see in front of you.
That interruption will help you stay present.
Interrupting your negative thought patterns is one of the most powerful secrets used by highly successful people.
5. You are your most valuable asset
   Don’t stop expanding your knowledge base and skills. The last thing you want to be doing at times like these, is nothing.
Ask yourself: “What skills can I sharpen?”, “Who around me is doing interesting and profitable things that I can learn from”, “What’s one or two new things I can learn in the next 30 days that will make me sharper than I am now?”
If you look at the most successful people who continue to thrive, the one common trait they all have is the belief that they have FULL responsibility for their success.
We live in a time with access to amazing technology and a plethora of successful role models.
Start by tapping into your natural abilities and take action towards resilience and resourcefulness.
To your success,

The Play of the Day

2008-10-29T16:31:00.000-04:00

If you find yourself distracted by everything that's going on in the world, you're not alone. Recently we came across an article that seems so appropriate for today's circumstances that we just had to share it with you. David wrote "The Play of the Day" in April 2001 for his Productivity Principles newsletter, and a modified version appears in Ready for Anything. Perhaps it will provide just the inspiration you need to get where you want to be!

Creativity, fulfillment and flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

2008-10-26T11:14:00.002-04:00

Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi asks, "What makes a life worth living?" Noting that money cannot make us happy, he looks to those who find pleasure and lasting satisfaction in activities that bring about a state of "flow."

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow.html

How To Manage Yourself And Your Time (And How To Dramatically Increase Your Personal Productivity) by Eben Pagan

2008-10-20T16:54:00.000-04:00

You'll learn some of the most powerful, cutting-edge tricks and techniques for getting a LOT more done in less time.

This video is especially valuable if you work from home, own your own business, or have to manage your own schedule (which we all know is VERY hard).

Go ahead - watch this video to learn how to manage your time and increase your productivity now.

Strategies to Help You Get Through the Hard Times by John Tesh

2008-10-11T18:25:00.001-04:00

With all the bad news about the economy, a lot of us are asking the same questions: What does this mean for me? How do I protect myself, my family, and my financial future? Here are a few strategies that answer those questions – and may help you sleep better at night. This comes from More magazine financial columnist, Jean Chatzky: The fact is, a lot of people are already making sacrifices. A recent survey found that 61 percent of people are eating out less, half have postponed travel or put off a major purchase, and a surprising 1 in 3 people say they’ll retire later than they originally planned. Here’s what else our financial expert has to say:

Don’t fret about the value of your house. Yes, housing prices have fallen 6% in the past year, but unless you’re planning on moving, those numbers are meaningless. So, put them out of your head - because home values will go up again.
Double your just-in-case emergency fund. Experts recommend setting aside enough money to cover three months’ worth of expenses in case you lose your job or your car dies. During tough times, they recommend at least six months’ worth. Nine if you’re the family’s sole breadwinner.

Attach numbers to your retirement dream. The key is to know what sort of retirement you’d like: Will you be moving to a new part of the country or starting a business. Will you still be paying college bills and a mortgage? Once you figure out what that’ll cost, play around with an investment calculator to see how much you should be putting away. You can find a calculator at SaveforYourFuture.org. For example, save $40 a week, at 5% interest, and you’ll retire in 40 years with $245,000.
Remember that you CAN work after you retire. According to one recent survey, 63% of us expect to work for pay during our retirement. There is a silver lining: Continuing to work then will help stretch the money you’re saving now.

View JOHN TESH's blog

Do you have the right emotion???

2008-10-03T22:25:00.000-04:00

Tony Robbins discusses the "invisible forces" that motivate everyone's actions. Enjoy!

The Next Level workbook by Ronald Vereggen

2008-01-07T13:34:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the New Year.

Are you just getting back into the swing of things? Are you ready to make this the best year ever? Are you ready to take things to The Next Level?

Well, hopefully I can help.

Over the holidays I finished The Next Level Workbook to help my Clients assess where they are now in their personal and professional lives and to help them decide on what The Next Level looks like for their career, business and life.

This 34 page workbook contains ...

An assessment for where you are now in your career, business and life
Strategies for creating your goals that will take you to The Next Level
Your plan for turning your goals into actions

What a great way to start off the New Year!

The great news is we are making The Next Level Workbook available to everyone.

That's Right!

We are giving it away to everyone!

To receive a PDF version of the workbook all you need to do is go to http://www.rapidsuccesscoach.com/content/view/40/ and download your copy.

Remember to contact us if you would like professional coaching services around:

interpreting the results of your assessment
creating your goals for the year
implementing your plan of action
taking your business, career and life to The Next Level!

I wish you an amazing and prosperous year as you take things to The Next Level!

About Rapid Success Coaching Inc.

Rapid Success Coaching Inc. is a Canadian company dedicated to helping visionary high achievers reach their ultimate potential. We strive to improve the quality of life for individuals and organizations by providing transformational training and coaching services. Our clients are visionary high achievers at every level including ceo's, leaders, managers, technology professionals, students, coaches and entrepreneurs.

We respect your privacy and we will not give out or sell our subscribers' names and/or e-mail addresses.

To subscribe to this e-zine, visit www.rapidsuccesscoach.com.

Growing Great New Managers by Erika Andersen

2007-11-04T16:09:00.000-05:00

We’ve all seen it: a successful employee promoted to manager is given no training and essentially pushed into the deep end and told to swim? According to Andersen, this approach to creating new managers is epidemic. Using an accessible gardening metaphor, Andersen, founder of Proteus International, contends that new managers must have a support system available to train them, while on the job, to become successful managers.

Meta Programme Profiling by Q1

2007-02-14T14:58:00.000-05:00

Meta Programme Profiling

Meta Programmes are core traits that determine how you are likely to approach or respond to a situation.

They run continually in background mode and guide your behaviour.

They are context specific, so you may have two completely different profiles for work and home.

Often referred to as ‘patterns’ because of their habitual nature, the aim of this profiling tool is not to judge as good or bad, right or wrong, rather to create an awareness and understanding of the consequences of certain patterns in a specific context.

There are 3 main ways in which to consider the results you get from this profiler:

To gain an awareness of the impact of your verbal and non-verbal communication with other people.
To gain an awareness of how you engage with your work, and the effect of certain programmes on your personal effectiveness, focus, decision-making, motivation, procrastination and stress.
To gain an awareness of how you communicate with yourself.

Before starting the profiler choose a context, either work or personal life. If you would like to know your profile in both contexts then complete the profiler twice.

- prepare to be aware -

Click here to start your Meta Programme Profile NOW

5 Ways GTD Helps You Achieve Your Goals Written by Leo

2007-02-05T18:19:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned that I'm a GTD addict on this site before (My GTD Implementation, Beginner's GTD Guide, Mind Like Water), but I'd like to talk about why it's a good tool for achieving your goals.

Now, if you're trying to achieve goals, you don't need to implement GTD ... many have done just fine without it, of course. But every advantage that you can get will help, and GTD is just one tool that can help give you an advantage.

Here's how:

GTD breaks your goals down to the next-action level. Many people have big goals, but they don't take it to the action level. GTD mandates that you select a next action for each project (and I consider each goal a project; although sub-goals could also be projects). This makes it much more likely that you'll actually do something to further your goals.
GTD helps you track your goals effectively. While you are not required to list your goals to start out GTD, it is encouraged once you get past the "runway" level and start looking at more elevated levels of life. But, in my case, I'd already started setting my goals, so they fit nicely in the GTD system as projects. And, if you're doing GTD right, with a weekly review, then you review your projects -- and thus your goals -- on a weekly basis, and ensure that there's a next action for each goal in one of your context action lists.
GTD helps you put your goal next actions in the proper context. There are some goal actions that you can only take in a certain place -- say, at home, or at work, or on the road. If your goal actions are all on one list, or all together with all the other stuff you have to do on a Master List, then you'll have to constantly evaluate whether you can actually do each action, all the time. GTD sorts this out -- only the actions you can do at work are on your @work context list, etc. It simplifies things and makes it more likely that you'll actually get the stuff done.
GTD clears up time for you to do your goal actions. OK, this is not a guarantee. Doing GTD doesn't ensure that you'll actually get stuff done ... but it does make it more likely, once you begin to master the system (and not continually tweak it). And it can help you clear away the smaller things so that when you want to work on your goal actions, you have the time.
GTD lets you focus on your goals. One of the problems in our daily lives is that we're distracted by all the things we have to do -- not just the stuff we're actually doing, but even the stuff we're not doing. GTD helps you clear away the distractions, putting them in a trusted system, so that you can clear your head to focus on what it is you really want or need to do (admittedly, even with GTD, this is not easily accomplished). If that happens to be your goal actions, then you can really focus on them. And focus is what really makes goals happen (and anything else for that matter).

Let me just conclude by saying that GTD is no magic wand that will make your goals come true. No such thing exists, of course. GTD is just a tool, but it is a very useful tool, and I highly recommend it for anyone trying to make dreams a reality.

See also:

* A great source with interesting ideas @ The Ultimate Getting Things Done Index

If you let your career run off-leash, where would it go? by Sally Hogshead

2007-01-30T13:36:00.000-05:00

If you let your career run off-leash, where would it go?

November 13th, 2006

Since May, I’ve been letting my career rove to and fro. Consciously, I chose to make no plans or goals, do no outreach or inquiry, and instead, simply respond to the clients and opportunities that presented themselves.

This experiment led me to people and places and possibilities that I’d normally never encounter. I became a brand manager for a celebrity, outlined a new book concept, developed two reality TV shows, and created a new kind of speaking program that’s marketing + entertainment. And that was just October.

While I don’t often recommend being a spectator to your own career, at certain points you have to consciously choose to roam. Take your career out to stretch its legs, to exercise and explore. Send it out on adventures. Give it room to fail. Let it get nice and dirty. Let it live. Find the hole in the fence, escape to new places, then decide whether or not you’ll return.

Along the way, your choices don’t all have to be perfect (and in a well-lived career they won’t be). The point is to make those choices for yourself, rather than having them made for you.

Your career is robust. Probably far more than you realize. Don’t overprotect it, or shelter it, or underestimate it. Don’t let it get too precious.

A career, like most things in life, can’t be simultaneously developed and preserved.

Are you ready to put the pedal to the metal???

Eliminate the Enemy of Success by Dr. Robert Karlsberg & Dr. Jane Adler

2007-01-28T19:34:00.000-05:00

Eliminate the Enemy of Success

A study conducted last year by executive search firm Korn-Ferry revealed that 70% of executives planned to make a career related New Year's resolution. Yet, experience shows that more than 80% of them will be significantly off-track before the end of March.

Why?

Most of them will fall victim to distraction -- the number one enemy of success.

No matter how well-intentioned you are, it's difficult to maintain your focus when you're faced with multiple opportunities and multiple demands each day. However, the most efficient way to achieve a goal is to maintain a single-minded focus.

Maintaining a single-minded focus on one high-priority activity not only reduces the amount of time you need to achieve your objective, but ensures a higher quality of performance as well.

Here are some tips to overcome distractions and achieve your goals more quickly:

1. Set Inspiring Long-term Goals. Short-term objectives are fine, but don't often provide the necessary inspiration to stay the course. Keep in mind this classic quote from Napoleon Hill's, Think and Grow Rich, "The starting point of all achievement is desire... Weak desires bring weak results, just as a small amount of fire makes a small amount of heat."

2. Create a Path. Even the best goal-setting system isn't enough. You need specific action steps to follow. When you create a blueprint for your objectives, you give yourself a path to run on. If you get sidetracked, as you undoubtedly will, it's simple to pick up and restart where you left off.

3. Link Your Activities to Your Goals. Identify your top priorities in every area of your life: career, family, health, friends etc. Then link all of your activities to your goals. Goal-directed behavior is what enables successful people to achieve their objectives in record time.

4. Stop Multi-Tasking. As management guru Peter Drucker said, "If there is one 'secret' of effectiveness, it is concentration."

Focus single-mindedly on one thing at a time. Don't take phone calls while working on an important report. Don't think about next months sales figures while answering a customer's email. By simply avoiding the temptation to do more than one thing at a time, you can reduce the amount of time you need to complete any task by 50-80 percent.

5. Use Technology Efficiently. Technology is great when it enhances productivity, but it can also become a major distraction. Remember, cell phones, e-mail and the Internet, were designed to be used as tools. Don't let them become your master.

6. Beware of the "Open Door." Of course, you need to be accessible at work; but you also need to maintain control of your accessibility. An open door policy only works well if you set time limits and stick to them. Your time is your most valuable resource. If you allow others free use of it, you'll pay a steep price in stress and lost productivity.

7. Manage Information and Idea Overload. Every day you're bombarded with more information than you can possibly handle in a week. One key to managing it is to be very selective about what gets your attention now, and what you save for later. Link your reading, viewing and listening activities to your goals as much as possible. And always keep a notebook or voice recorder handy, so you can manage ideas and potentially profit from them later.

Short-term objectives are fine, but don't often provide the necessary inspiration to stay the course. Keep in mind this classic quote from Napoleon Hill's, "The starting point of all achievement is desire... Weak desires bring weak results, just as a small amount of fire makes a small amount of heat." Even the best goal-setting system isn't enough. You need specific action steps to follow. When you create a blueprint for your objectives, you give yourself a path to run on. If you get sidetracked, as you undoubtedly will, it's simple to pick up and restart where you left off. Identify your top priorities in every area of your life: career, family, health, friends etc. Then link all of your activities to your goals. Goal-directed behavior is what enables successful people to achieve their objectives in record time. As management guru Peter Drucker said, "If there is one 'secret' of effectiveness, it is concentration."

Dr. Robert Karlsberg & Dr. Jane Adler are leading experts in leadership development and the psychology of business, and co-founders of TheRoadtoCEO.com. If you're ready to accelerate your career and maximize your business performance visit www.TheRoadtoCEO.com for your complimentary subscription to Peak Performance.

My Leadership Philosophy: Part 2 by Ken Flowers

2007-01-23T14:45:00.000-05:00

"Leadership comes naturally to some people, and can be learned by many people. Although, not all people can be taught to be leaders. The most important thing to teach a burgeoning leader is to have the confidence that they have permission to lead. Leadership is not a matter of rank.
A leader is motivated to take action by a desire to see success. This is not ego-driven personal success, although many leaders have huge egos. Leadership is about making a team successful at reaching a shared goal. A leader needs to be able to visualize the future, and they need to be able to communicate that vision of success to the team. Finally, a leader needs to be impatient. Leaders are made when someone has a vision and becomes impatient that nobody else is moving.
I don't believe that leadership requires charisma. Leaders need to communicate a vision in a way that motivates the team to share the goal. This requires some empathy and insight into how other people think. They also need to inspire trust that they can lead the group to that goal, and then get out of the way. Charisma is helpful, but it can also blind a group to an otherwise poor goal or untrustworthy leader."

Guy Kawasaki’s 10-20-30 Rule of PowerPoint

2007-01-15T12:28:00.000-05:00

Guy Kawasaki’s 10-20-30 Rule of PowerPoint

Have you heard about this? It’s an interesting rule of thumb on how to create a simple but effective PowerPoint® sales presentation. According to venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki, “A PowerPoint presentation should have 10 slides, last no more than 20 minutes, and contain no font smaller than 30 points.”

10 slides / 20 minutes / 30-point font

Why only 10 slides? Because, “a normal human being cannot comprehend more than 10 concepts in a meeting.” That also means each slide should actually contain a worthwhile concept. Kawasaki suggests:

1. Problem
2. Your solution
3. Business model
4. Underlying magic/technology
5. Marketing and sales
6. Competition
7. Team
8. Projections and milestones
9. Status and timeline
10. Summary and call to action

Why only 20 minutes? Because you almost always need time to get set up beforehand and time after for questions, and nobody wants to sit in a meeting longer than an hour.

Why a font size of 30 points or larger? Because any smaller and people realize that your entire presentation is on the slides, so they just read them and stop listening to you. Also, you then have to simmer your text down to information important enough to be broadcast large.

For more details, read Guy Kawasaki’s blog.

Check also Presentation Zen for more tips on using PowerPoint and giving effective presentations.

Change Bytes by Peggy Grall

2007-01-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

January 2007

What did you get for Christmas? Everything you wanted? A friend of mine got a great gift for Christmas. He was given a Magellan RoadMate, a small device that sits atop his dashboard to tell him how to get to where he’s going. He tells me that all he has to do is enter his desired destination and the device charts a course from wherever he is on the planet. He has the option of choosing the shortest route, the fastest route or the route with the most or least freeway driving. How cool is that?

What he really likes is that the system is operated by what he describes as an ‘unemotional female voice’ that tells him everything from when to turn, which way to turn and, when he is 20 feet from a turn, a gentle “ding dong” sound alerts him that it’s time to turn NOW. The soft, supportive voice and the gentle bells continue offering him support until he safely arrives at his destination. At this point point the voice says, “You have arrived at your destination.”

And there’s more. If he’s hungry the device will tell him about the nearest restaurants, if he needs gas it will locate the nearest gas stations - by company, and if he needs emergency medical attention, it guides him to the nearest hospital. And at all times the gentle voice knows, within about three feet, exactly where he’s at in relationship to his goal.

But there’s even more. If he makes a mistake and turns left when he should have turned right, there is no stern, “You blew it, you moron" booming from the dashboard, but rather a gentle, “Make a U-turn when you can legally do so.” And, if he persists in his new direction - the voice calmly says, “Calculating a new course.” When he willfully, or out of ignorance, looses his way, ‘She’ determines a new course and begins to give new instructions, never criticizing or blaming.

Isn’t this fascinating? An unemotional, continually supportive, perpetually flexible, ever informed and respectful voice is what people will pay good money for to help them find their way. This state-of-the-art gadget speaks volumes about leading people.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every CEO, VP, Manager or Supervisor really listened to those they are charged with leading; found out where they want to go, gently and consistently offer them support and insight into where they are relative to where they want to be, and then- when they veer off course - simply help them chart a new one?

So...

How about you? How are you leading the people in your life, or at work, to their destinations? How are you ‘helping’ people reach their goals?

If you want to get better at listening and giving support, why not make 2007 the year that you sharpen your leadership skills?

New Year - New Website...take a look!

E-mail: p.grall@justchangeit.com

Phone: 1-866-949-6698

Web: http://www.JustChangeIt.com

Accomplice looks very interesting to me, too!

2006-12-04T12:52:00.000-05:00

In my never ending quest to find better ways to be more effective, I tried the "Accomplice" way, and I am really trilled by the friendly look and nice integration with Outlook.

	Accomplice helps busy professionals like you manage your to-dos, goals, and notes, then sync them with your team.

The 12 Elements of Great Managing

2006-11-14T10:43:00.000-05:00

To identify the elements of worker engagement, Gallup conducted many thousands of interviews in all kinds of organizations, at all levels, in most industries, and in many countries.

These 12 statements -- the Gallup Q12 -- emerged from Gallup's pioneering research as those that best predict employee and workgroup performance.

1. I know what is expected of me at work.
2. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right.
3. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.
4. In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.
5. My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.
6. There is someone at work who encourages my development.
7. At work, my opinions seem to count.
8. The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important.
9. My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work.
10. I have a best friend at work.
11. In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress.
12. This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.

(The Q12 items are protected by copyright of The Gallup Organization, 1992-1999. All rights reserved.)

What & Who is Cool-Time?

2006-08-25T09:31:00.000-04:00

About Cool Time

If you have ever said (or felt) any of the following, then Cool Time is the solution for you:

I spend more and more time just dealing with e-mail.
I often take work home or stay late because that’s when I work without distraction.
A lot of time gets wasted in meetings.
There are too many interruptions.
I plan my day every day, but by 9:15 it’s totally derailed.
I never feel caught up!

Cool Time is a time management book with a difference. It’s all about keeping mentally and physically cool so that you are always at your best and on top of your game. When you’re mentally cool, you make the best decisions and get the best stuff done, and that’s the root of successful time management.

Cool Time doesn’t focus on prioritizing and agenda setting. In the real world of interruptions, e-mail, and distractions, few people are able to organize their work in isolation from everything else. In fact, effective time management is more about human relationships and expectations than it is about making lists.

Cool Time is a complete approach to managing time and defending it from the endless demands and expectations of others in the workplace and at home.

Contains practical, personal techniques that will help you apply your new skills to real-world situations: holding time-effective meetings, dealing with distractions, learning to focus, coping with unrealistic workloads, planning for the unexpected, negotiating with your manager over conflicting tasks, using technology effectively (the phone, PDAs, and e-mail).
Includes suggestions on non-work activities, which make this a complete approach to managing time and balancing life.
Features lots of examples, practical tips, and concepts that are memorable and easy to apply, as well as to explain and teach to others in your life. Concepts such as the "I-Beam Agenda" for planning and structuring your day, "Keystone Time" that you block off for focused work, "The 60-Second Workspace" for organizing yourself physically and mentally, and many more.

A complete approach to managing time, priorities, and people in an increasingly fast paced world, Cool Time allows you to be in control, feel less stress, and never break a sweat as you go about your day

To return to the main Cool Time page, click here.

Using Leverage for Your Success By James Manktelow

2006-08-23T09:11:00.000-04:00

Using Leverage for Your Success
By James Manktelow

Have you ever seen a world-class high jump or pole vaulting event? If you have, you might know that while high jumpers can clear the bar at over 7 feet, pole vaulters can clear 18 feet. It’s hardly fair to make the comparison: It’s not that pole vaulters are better athletes. It’s just that they have the leverage of a pole to propel themselves over the bar.

Pole vaulters and high jumpers can be equally successful because they compete in separate events. But in real life, different categories of competition are rare: If a person gets ahead by finding resources he or she can leverage - legitimately, of course - he or she will be judged a better performer.

So it makes sense to make best use of available resources, and so propel yourself forwards on the path to greater success.

Where’s the Leverage?

A lever is simply a tool that helps you use your strength more effectively. Just as a pole vaulter uses the pole for leverage, you can use other types of leverage to achieve much more with your skills and resources, and with the limited time available.

Leverage can be found in some unlikely places. The trick is always to be on the look out for it: Here are some tips that help you know where to find leverage and make the most of it.

1. Levering Your Own Time

When it comes to being as efficient and effective as possible, the obvious starting place is to make the very best use of your time. If you use your time carefully, you’ll have more of it for things that make a difference.

Look at how you spend time in a typical day. What can you stop doing, or do less of? Can you make more of your “down time”, for example by listening to voice messages or important podcasts on the way to work?

Learn to prioritize, schedule and control your workload. (Visit the time management section of the Mind Tools website, and see our Make Time for Success! program to become expert at this.)

When you do these things well, you will be more efficient and better organized. Not only will you get more from your time, you'll also get more from the other types of leverage as well.

2. The Leverage of Technology

Do you make the best use of the computer systems and personal productivity tools available to you? Just take a look at what’s available on your computer. You can often find easy ways to make big improvements.

Do you use a customer database, or re-type people’s details over and over again? Do you hand-write your to-do lists time and again, when you could better use a personal organizer, Outlook or even MS Word?

There will always be faster, sleeker, more powerful gizmos that promise to answer all your personal productivity needs (and promise to "make the tea as well.") But a simple solution is often most effective - the trick is to find a solution that works and use it well. Stick with it, at least for a while, or else you’ll spend more time changing systems than the time you save!

3. Leveraging Knowledge, Skills and Experience

With the right information and the right training, you’ll be much more effective on the job. Make sure you have the right reports, manuals and background information to hand. Get the training you need and keep your skills up to date. If someone else did the job before you, pick their brains and learn from their experience.

If this sounds too obvious, you’ll be surprised how often it’s overlooked. Just think back through your recent experience at work. What other knowledge, skills and experience would have made you more effective? When you take on a new activity or project, think this through in advance. Gather the resources, book the training, talk to people with relevant experience, and see how much leverage you can gain.

4. Leveraging Other People’s Time

However efficient you are, there are only 24 hours in a day, right?

Wrong. Serious leverage comes when you can tap into other people’s time: The more you can delegate, the more hours there are in the day! This is particularly true if you can delegate to someone who is a real expert at doing the job.

Whether you delegate to people in your team, to consultants or an outsourcing partner, delegation is an important skill to build. Our article on delegation gives more tips on how to do this. Identify things that you currently do that could be delegated to other people, and give it a try.

If you already delegate a great deal, try delegating more! Remember always to make sure the right checks and controls are in place. And see how many hours you can find in other people’s days.

Key points
Leverage is very important for a successful life and career: Intelligent use of it is what moves people from being good performers to being truly spectacular ones. And it's not just in the areas we've discussed that you can find it: Money, resources, contacts... the list of different types of leverage just goes on and on. Make sure that you think often about how you can use leverage, and understand what it can do for you.

This article is adapted from a full chapter on leverage in Mind Tools “Make Time for Success!” program, written by James Manktelow and Namita Anand. Click here for more about Make Time for Success!, or here to find out how to license it for your training or events.

GTDGmail

2006-08-22T13:38:00.000-04:00

GTD - Getting Things Done - is a simple and effective productivity concept: designed so that even the laziest and most scattered of people can be organised and stress free.

It is a way to get things done with "less effort, more ease and elegance".

GTD focuses on Contexts and Next Actions. A Context is the best place to achieve something, and a Next Action is the thing you think is most important to do next.
Projects and complex priorities are strongly devalued as they are rarely the answer to organisational problems.
As a very simple example, a to do list might have the Context 'At Computer', with the Next Actions being 'Visit GtdGmail.com' and 'Download GtdGmail'. Thus, when you are next sat at the computer, you know exactly what is most effective to do next.

The emphasis is on the fastest, easiest way to clear your task list.
A primary example being the 2 Minute Rule: any task that can be done in two minutes should be done straight away.

GTD is built on the notion that a person's mind is a very ineffectual place to store their todo list. It aims to move these lists somewhere else, freeing the brain to concentrate on the task at hand.
Enter Gmail...

GTD originated in David Allen's best selling book that promises to boost your productivity and open up your creativity; not to mention adding six months to your life.
Allen is in an excellent position to identify 'the way' - a Zen Budhist before even going to college - he has spent over two decades dedicating himself to making people more effective.

It strives to be simple and fun.
GTD asserts that we never just 'do' projects, instead we complete a series of very smaller steps that move us closer to the goal of completing multiple projects.
Hence the concept of Projects - and unrealistic priorities - are pushed to one side.
Instead, we focus on task lists that are grouped by context - i.e. what tasks can be best done where?
For example, a list of Phone tasks are those tasks that can be achieved when you are near a phone.

There is also the 'reminder' element. Rather than doing whatever comes first into your mind, you have the 'Next Action' for a given Context (or possibly Project) readily labelled.

In short, you keep nothing in your head; and whenever you think "What should I do now?" GTD has the most appropriate 'Next Action' ready for you.

The Process

This is derived from GTD's page at Wikipedia

Collect

Capture everything that you need to track or remember or act on in into a Bucket.
In this case, the Buckets are your Inbox and Archive.
Aim:

Get Everything Out of your Head
Minimise the collection buckets: your Inbox should be emptied once a day.

Process

When you process your inbox, follow a strict workflow:

Start at the top.
Deal with one item at a time.
Never put anything back into 'in'.
If an item requires action:
- Do it (if it takes less than two minutes),
- Delegate it, or
- Defer it.
If not,
- Make it a Reference
- Throw it away
- Incubate it for possible action later - add it to the Someday / Maybe list

The 2-minute Rule: If it would take less than 2 minutes to do something, just do it right away.

Organize

Decide on Context
For any Actions in your Inbox, choose the best place/way in which you'll do them - i.e. the best context. For example, if a task is to call someone, then the Context is phone. If the Task is to pick something up from a shop, then the Context would be Car (or maybe Offsite/Onroad).
Next actions
For every item requiring your attention, decide what is the next action that you are effectively able to do. For example, if the item is 'Write project report', the next action might be 'Email Fred for meeting minutes', or 'Call Jim to ask about report requirements', or something similar. Though there may be many steps and actions required to complete the item, there will always be something that you need to do first, and this should be recorded in the next actions list. Ideally, your Actions should be ordered in the Context (e.g. phone, email, work desk) in which they are done.
Projects
Every process in your life or work which requires more than one physical action to achieve becomes a 'project'. These are tracked and periodically reviewed to make sure that every project has a next action associated with it and can thus be moved forward.
Waiting For
When you have delegated an action to someone else or are waiting for some external event before you can move a project forward, this must be tracked in your system and periodically checked to see if action is due or a reminder needs to be sent.
Someday/Maybe
Things that you want to do at some point, but not right now. Examples might be 'learn Chinese', or 'take diving holiday'.

Now you're organised, you can pull up a list of Next Actions based on different criteria - such as by Context if you are a specific situation (e.g. on the road), or by Project if the project is urgent, or simply by a general view of all Next Actions in chronological order.

Review

The lists of actions and reminders will be of little use if you don't review them at least daily, or whenever you have time available. Given the time, energy and resources that you have at that particular moment, decide what is the most important thing for you to be doing right now, and do it.

At least weekly, the discipline of GTD requires that you review all your outstanding actions, projects and 'waiting for' items, making sure that any new tasks or forthcoming events are entered into your system, and that everything is up to date.

Do

Any organizational system is no good if you spend all your time organizing your tasks instead of actually doing them! David Allen's contention is that if you can make it simple, easy and fun to take the actions that you need to take, you will be less inclined to procrastinate or become overwhelmed with too many 'open loops' (aka entire Projects).

Time for a Break? By Rachel Manktelow

2006-07-11T16:47:00.000-04:00

Time for a Break?
By Rachel Manktelow

Picture this: You are on vacation. Relaxing on the beach. Or on the golf course. Or walking in the hills. Or doing whatever you like to do to relax.

Then your mobile phone rings. It’s the office. Your peace is shattered. And you are transported back to world of work, problems to solve and urgent things to do.

Maybe your phone doesn’t ring. And still, your thoughts wander back to the office too often. Why haven’t they called? Did you remember to leave this file or that? Each time these questions flood your mind, the vacation magic is broken, at least momentarily.

So next time you take a vacation, what will it take for you to turn off your mobile phone, figuratively as well as literally?

The secret to a relaxing vacation is in the planning and preparation. Just as you need to plan and prepare for the vacation itself, so you need to plan and prepare for your time away from the office… and your return. Here are some tips to help you do that:

Get on top of your to do list:
Ahead of your vacation, make sure your to do list is well under control. Include on it every single thing that needs to be done before you go. Plan especially carefully for the things that are due whilst you are away and immediately after you return.

Delegate diligently:
If you need other people to do things for you whilst you are away, remember it takes time to explain these to them and prepare things they may need from you. Plan time so you can do this thoroughly. The more you prepare others for the time you are away, the less your mobile phone will ring!

Schedule contingency time for a smooth exit:
Have you ever been in the office until late the night before a vacation, desperately trying to finish some papers? Or maybe you have made one last phone call on the way to the airport to make sure your clients can survive your absence?

When this happens, it’s really difficult to switch off that mobile phone!

Many of us are born optimists, with the unfortunate consequence that everything takes longer than we expect. And that includes getting ready to leave the office. The only solution is to plan some contingency time for the few days before you depart. Plan to complete everything before the contingency time begins. Who knows: With great planning and preparation, you could even start the vacation a little earlier – or at least start to relax!

Manage other people’s expectations:
Tell everyone who needs to know ahead of time when you will be away and when you will return. It’s obvious but so often overlooked. Make sure they know exactly who is dealing with things in your absence or if anything they expect from you will be delayed.

Some people, perhaps your boss, may have unrealistic expectations that your vacation should have no impact whatsoever. Maybe he or she expects you to have the mobile phone on all the time… Or worse, to take work away with you. His or her view will not change overnight, so preparation and persuasion ahead of time will be required!

(And if he or she is not persuaded by your great planning and preparation, the last resort is to vacation somewhere remote and communication free...)

Do as you would be done by:
Other people’s vacations? Who needs them! It’s more work for everyone else. And everyone gets envious and desperate to take their own break. Right?

Well it needn’t be that way. If you help other people, they’ll more likely help you when it’s time for your vacation.

And people need time to refresh! So the office is usually nicer (and more productive) place to work when people get the chance to take regular breaks. So why not enjoy other people’s breaks as well as your own?

Let go a little:
Does part of you actually want the office to phone whilst you’re away? After all, how could they possibly manage without you for a whole week?

Sometimes it takes a little bit of mental preparation to truly wish yourself a phone-call-free vacation! Start by telling yourself:

“When I am away, everything will go smoothly because of my great planning, preparation and delegation. The less I am missed, the more successful I will have been in this!”

Plan your time for a smooth return:
What awaits you on your return? An overflowing inbox? Back to back meetings with clients? No time to catch up with colleagues?

Just as you need good scheduling and contingency time before you go away, so you need this on your return. Make sure you leave space in your schedule to deal with urgent and unexpected matters, to clear down your inbox and to catch up with what’s been happening whilst you were away. All of this takes time. And you will feel refreshed for a little longer if you prepare for your smooth return!

So what do you think? Do you have time for your well-deserved break or vacation a break or vacation? You will have if you get started on that preparation and planning.

Taking time away from work is really important, and the better you prepare and plan, the more smoothly it will go, and a more enjoyable time will be had by all!

Time management is of course a valuable skill all year around, not just at vacation time. You can learn more of the skills previewed here in Mind Tools time management program: Make Time for Success!

The Moment Of Change By Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

2006-06-25T10:38:00.000-04:00

Learn to recognize the counterfeit coins that may buy you just a moment of pleasure,

But then drag you for days like a broken man behind a farting camel.

-Hafiz (Ladinsky)

You have the power to reinvent yourself. The difficulty lies in the objectivity and honesty you need about a very subjective topic–yourself. You’re fairly objective about improving or upgrading things, like your car, or your stereo, or your golf clubs. Reinventing yourself requires a similar objective assessment of the most important thing of all. Your life. Buying a hybrid car, or a cutting-edge computer or communication system, or changing investment choices, or even trying out a nontraditional style of sexual relationship, are often unconscious substitutes for the inner signals urging you to change something about your life. It just seems easier to do something in the outer world. When you’re aware of inner messages about your life, there’s a far bigger payoff than any worldly thing or activity can return. You increase your options by being aware of the reasons you’re choosing what you do, but more importantly, you are able to distinguish between a moment of pleasure and a moment of quantum change. Reinventing yourself, in my book, is more than just possible, it’s a lifesaver.

For example, if you’re an ex-smoker today, the decision to be a non-smoker was preceded by thoughts about reinventing yourself. You incorporated objective data about the health dangers of smoking cigarettes and subjectively examined the things you disliked about being a smoker, which may have included a health scare. In all likelihood, you went through moments of knowing that measured maintenance is more difficult than total abstinence, to paraphrase the Greek dramatist, Aristophanes. While your mind may convince you that change is a gradual process that involves long, painful steps toward the achievement of a new you, the fact is that change, like life, takes place in moments. Years or months of thinking about giving up smoking, while the habit persists, even if gradually diminishing, were lived moment to moment as a smoker, until a breakthrough moment of becoming a non-smoker. That quantum change moment is when the reinvention of your life occurs.

Yes, you can go from being introverted and fearful to a robust risk taker in the quantum blink of an eye. Yes, you have the ability to go from pushy and arrogant to peaceful and kind. Yes, you can shift from the acquisition of wealth and power as a top priority to feeling your work has meaning and value, and enjoying your wealth and power as secondary benefits. Yes, you can be in business, or politics, or anything else for that matter, and still be the real you.

The shift that happens in moments when we reinvent our idea of how and why we’re living our life is available to all of us. I’ve had these shifts many times during my life. Here are some examples of how I’ve implemented this process.

One year ago, I made the decision to reinvent myself by removing many of the stressful factors that occupied so much of my life. The decision occurred in a moment. However, it was preceded by the objective honesty and subjective awareness that a way of life that I’d enjoyed for 30 some years was no longer fulfilling. Then, in a quiet moment of contemplation, I was transfixed by a wave of energy and a clear mental picture of what I needed to do. Closing the door on an office that had 30 years of accumulated books, clothes, manuscripts, photographs, files and furniture, and walking away from three decades of one way of life to enter a new world when I was 65 years old was a decision that happened in one quantum moment. It is still vivid, and somewhat surprising, and has been benevolent and endures.

Another example from my personal life is the day that I took my last drink of an alcoholic beverage. The day began with a surprise awakening at 4:05 A.M., 17 years ago. I awoke feeling a wave of energy encasing my body, the bedroom was filled with light, and I literally heard a voice saying that I was about to embark on a journey that involved leaving alcohol behind. That morning remains vividly in my memory. Prior to that day, I had consumed a minimum of two or three beers every evening for two decades. That quantum change has endured, with never a moment of wanting to return to being a person who enjoys alcohol.

History is full of stories of people who’ve experienced these quantum changes in many startling ways. St. Paul, Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther, Florence Nightingale, Joan of Arc. These quantum moments aren’t only for heroes and well-known people. We all have access to this life-changing process. Suddenly, in a speck of time that is overwhelming in its authenticity, you know that today is the day that you are reinventing your life. Here are my suggestions for accessing all the moments of your life and implementing quantum changes.

1) Have a mind that is open to everything

2) Don’t die with your music still in you

3) Notice what you really want in your life

4) Stay inspired

5) Get back into balance

Reinventing yourself involves change. Now. And the change I am suggesting is a matter of realignment. Begin the practice of aligning your thoughts so that they are balanced with the you that you desire to be. Thoughts and behaviors that don’t balance are the items that need your expertise to balance them. Desiring a stressless tranquil life while thinking, “I can’t be peaceful with so many demands being placed on me,” is a misalignment. Instead, think something along the lines of, “It is my intention to be more peaceful and I will take the time to meditate today for 15 minutes.” This is being in balance and reinventing yourself, at the least, in the moments you’re meditating. This is how radical shifts evolve. Move into balance by aligning your inner creative energy, your thoughts, so that they match perfectly with your desires.

At one time in my life, I would spend endless hours on the phone making business decisions and planning an over-full schedule. Now I spend a minimum of 90 minutes every day doing yoga, and another hour either walking along, or swimming in, the ocean. I am at peace, my life is balanced, largely because my thoughts and behaviors are in alignment with how I desire my life to be lived. And I did it in that quantum moment I described earlier. The change occurred in the moment that a force beckoned to me to live my life in harmony with my highest desires. Always keep in mind that this force is something far greater than your ego.

You are responsible for any imbalance between what you dream your life is meant to be, and the daily habits that drain life from that dream. You’ve invented the you that you’d like to change. Now reinvent yourself with the words of the famous Danish theologian, Soren Kierkegaard, to motivate you. “The majority of men live without being thoroughly conscious that they are spiritual beings.” Then tell yourself, “With spirit, all things are possible.” Now what does that leave out?

Wayne W. Dyer, Ph.D., is the author of 29 books, has created many audio programs and videos, and has appeared on thousands of television and radio shows. His books--Manifest Your Destiny; Wisdom of the Ages; There’s a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem; and The New York Times bestsellers 10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace, The Power of Intention, and Inspiration --have all been featured as National Public Television specials.

Wayne Dyer: Reinventing Yourself

Celebrity Second Acts

Reinventing Rehab

Poll: What would you most like to change about your life?

The Two Most Important Words To Your Development - by Kent Sayre

2006-06-20T23:35:00.000-04:00

The Two Most Important
Words To Your Development

In this article, I’m going to explain to you the two most important words to your development. Your development means achieving your goals and developing yourself in all areas of your life. You will benefit from these words by integrating them into your vocabulary and applying them.

The first word is “start”. To reach the end, you have to have a beginning. Start things up. Let me tell you something you probably already know but maybe hadn’t thought about really consciously until now. There is no perfect time to start something. So why wait? There’s no reason. Many people describe their goals as “When I…X” or “When X happens” where “X” is the condition they’re waiting on
and will continue to wait on.

Just get up and running. If you want to do something well, it’s worth doing badly at first. It’s the way we all learn. My philosophy is to just start up and go for it. When I take one step, the next step will be revealed to me. Sure, I may not know what the heck I’m doing and yet I believe in myself enough to figure it out. If I don’t know what to do, I have the second most important word to lean on, which I’ll describe later in this article. Just take one step. Promise yourself to take one small action every day.

Again, there won’t be any perfect time. Shoot, I can wait years for the stars to align, for the ocean tide to be high, for my astrological sign to be aligned with the moons of Jupiter and so on and so forth until I get the right “sign” to begin. But meanwhile, I’m burning up my most precious commodity; my time.

When you burn up your time, it’s like you’re taking the present that the Universe/God/The Great Spirit is giving you and slapping it away. And you can never get it back. My point is to just start doing something. Do it badly if you must and just say, “Hey, I’m going to find out some of the ways this won’t work and when I run out of ways it won’t work, I’m going to succeed.” It’s true. Run out of ways NOT to succeed and you’re bound for success.

Think about something you do incredibly well now. This could be at your job, at home, with your hobby, with your family, or in sports. At some point in your past, you probably weren’t as good as you are now, are you? You may have even been downright rotten. What happened? You kept at it and you got better and now you’re successful at it. See friend, this part of the article is not groundbreaking. I’m just reminding you, “Hey, remember when you didn’t do something well but now you do? Well, anything you want to do well now but aren’t so red hot at is just the same experience repeated.”

You’ve got all the resources in you to do it. This is undeniably true. You’ve been less-than-excellent in the past and now you are excellent at something. You learned one skill which means you can do it again, now. And I do mean right now! Not tomorrow, not the next day. Now, now, now, now. You get the drift of what I’m saying, don’t you?

So after you get up and running, you may run into snags. Snags are obstacles you meet on your journey to success. Still, I commend you for using the first word start” to get rolling. Now here comes the second most important word to your personal development ever. Are you ready? It is “help”. Help, to me, is a near magical word. You can summon others to help you achieve what you want.

Ask for help early and often. For whatever you want to do, achieve, or solve, there is someone or something out there who not only knows how to help you but who WANTS to help you too! They may have already handled this challenge you’re facing. Stubborn pride cost me a lot because I wouldn’t ask for help from others in the past. I thought I had to do it all alone. Meanwhile, I wasted time fumbling around while another person could have immediately helped me.

Any worthwhile pursuit will have snags along the way. So get help when you find them. Defeat the snag and move on to bigger and better things. And when you get help, pass along your expertise too to others so that everyone benefits.

There you go. ‘Start’ and ‘help’ are the two words that will put you on the path to achieving your every goal and living the life of your dreams. Congratulations. As you imagine leading your dream lifestyle, you can picture it now so clearly, and tell yourself inside how great a job you did, as you feel wonderful with this powerful sense of achievement … you can remind yourself that you did it because you got started and you asked for help along the way.

Kent Sayre is a worldwide persuasion expert and author of “The Ultimate Persuasion Formula” available at: www.TheUltimatePersuasionFormula.com

Furthermore, he is the author of the bestselling book “Unstoppable Confidence” endorsed by such celebrity authors as Brian Tracy, Robert Allen, and Jim Rohn.

TP’s “Top 41” Quotes

2006-06-16T22:51:00.000-04:00

TP’s “Top 41” Quotes

“Do one thing every day that scares you.”—Eleanor Roosevelt

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”—Charles Darwin

“We may not be interested in chaos but chaos is interested in us.”—Robert Cooper, The Breaking of Nations: Order and Chaos in the Twenty-first Century

“If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less.”—General Eric
Shinseki, retired Chief of Staff, U. S. Army

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”—Gandhi

“We eat change for breakfast!”—Harry Quadracci, founder, QuadGraphics

“If things seem under control, you’re just not going fast enough.”—Mario Andretti

“You can’t behave in a calm, rational manner. You’ve got to be out there on the lunatic fringe.”—Jack Welch, retired CEO, GE

“We have a ‘strategic’ plan. It’s called doing things.”—Herb Kelleher, founder,
Southwest Airlines

A man approached JP Morgan, held up an envelope, and said, “Sir, in my hand I hold a guaranteed formula for success, which I will gladly sell you for $25,000.” “Sir,” JP Morgan replied, “I do not know what is in the envelope, however if you show me, and I like it, I give you my word as a gentleman that I will pay you what you ask.” The man agreed to the terms, and handed over the envelope. JP Morgan opened it, and extracted a single sheet of paper. He gave it one look, a mere glance, then handed the piece of paper back to the gent. And paid him the agreed-upon $25,000.

The Paper:

1. Every morning, write a list of the things that need to be done that day.

2. Do them.

“A year from now
you may wish you
had started today.”
—Karen Lamb

Tom Peters*: Leadership is all about love:

Passion,
Enthusiasms,
Appetite for Life,
Engagement,
Great Causes & Determination to Make a Damn Difference,
Commitment to Excellence,
Shared Adventures,
Bizarre Failures,
Growth Beyond Measure,
Insatiable Appetite for Change.

As an alternative to New Year's Resolutions, Tom assembled his "Top 41" Quotes to live by in 2006. He offers them to you to adopt if you wish, also. Pick one or two, or use them all. TP's "Top 41" Quotes.

Book review: It’s Not What You Say…It’s What You Do » Slacker Manager

2006-06-09T23:16:00.000-04:00

Book review: It’s Not What You Say…It’s What You Do

It’s Not What You Say, It’s What You Do: How Following Through at Every Level Can Make or Break Your Company by Laurence Haughton.

Wow. This is a great book—it’s immediately vaulted into that short list of books that I’ll spout off when people ask me my favorites (right up there with Block’s Flawless Consulting, Senge’s Fifth Discipline and Allen’s Getting Things Done). I’m into my third reading and I know I’ll be going back for more. Let me say up front, and with all honesty, this book deserves more than just this single review. Each chapter is so rich with good information and detail that each could have stand alone reviews themselves.

One thing I really appreciate about the book is that it’s (unintentionally) a great tie-in with David Allen’s Getting Things Done. GTD is the desktop-level approach to doing what you say you’ll do, and this book is similar but at a higher elevation. Make no mistake, there are plenty of actual “things-to-do” in It’s Not What You Say…It’s What You Do, but at some point you’re going to need to manage all of those “things-to-do” so that you’re as effective as you can be. That’s where GTD steps in. These two books would be a nice combo for just about any manager.

If I understand correctly, Haughton took a couple of years to research and write this book. It shows. There are so many great ideas in here, that I keep going back to both the book and my notes to make sure I don’t miss anything. Before I get into the meat of the review, let me just say that I actually have one gripe: I really wish there was some kind of wrap up at the end of each chapter that pulls together, in a concise way, the essence of what we’ve just been through. Or at least a mini-index of the chapter to make it easier to find those ideas. Otherwise, the execution of this book is near flawless. The organization of the book is simple: just four “building blocks” which are explained early on, then expanded within their own chapters. The beginning of each chapter makes clear what’s coming up and, of course, the follow through is right on target.

The book is organized into four building blocks:

Clear Direction: Having a clear direction so everyone understands where they’re headed in no uncertain terms.
The Right People: Matching the right people to every goal.
Buy-In: Getting off to a great start with plenty of buy-in.
Individual Initiative: Making sure everyone maintains their momentum by increasing individual initiative.

Each building block consists of three or four supporting chapters. Of course these four building blocks are elementary and unoriginal ideas, but Haughton manages to squeeze extra juice from each. The result, for me at least, is a new perspective on some older ideas, and a whole bunch of new tactics to take back to the office (insert insane cackle here). Here are a few of my favorite ideas…

Matching everyone’s agenda. This one comes from The Right People building block. The big idea here is that matching up your agenda with those of your staff is a path to success for all. What often happens, and I know this is true with me, is that we dig in and create some strategy and then roll it on down the line, expecting everyone to understand its importance. Of course that dream rarely comes true. Haughton advises the following for matching agendas:

Get each team member’s individual expectations via one-on-one conversations. Two earlier chapters, “Clear Expectations” and “Read Between The Lines” help with these conversations. Haughton provides a bunch of good questions to get these talks rolling.
Reality check by assessing what it will take to achieve their expectations and factoring in the whole team’s commitment to making targets. This takes yet more talking and more questions about what it’s worth to reach their goals. Again, Haughton provides some good starter questions, as well as an alternative exercise for those managers less comfortable with talking about personal goals with staff.
Put the pieces together. Some folks may need to be reassigned, some goals may need to be adjusted. Haughton lists some grim statistics on why this last piece is critical, including this gem: Forty-eight percent of employees and managers have no clear idea of the link between their daily efforts and the company’s goals.

Keep the CAVE people out of the Wow! event. This comes from the Buy-In building block. This particular insight is just a small part of a larger four-part strategy used for creating buy-in. The first of the four steps is to “Kick off your change with a “wow!” event. This just means that whatever the change is all about, get an easy win and maximize it. While you’re doing that, keep the CAVE people out of the event. CAVE means “citizens against virtually everything.” (The term was coined by Anand Sharma of TBM Consulting.) It’s probably safe to say that we all know a few CAVE people. The point here is that CAVE people will poison your wow! event, so keep them out of it. Select people who will really “get it” and allow them to have amazing success with the wow! event. This particular insight makes absolute sense to me, yet is still counter-intuitive. I tend to be a manager who doesn’t put up any walls, but I can see how keeping the naysayers out of a new project would increase the liklihood of success.

Creating a HOT team. This is also from the Buy-In building block. I’m still not sure why ‘HOT’ is always capitalized in the book, but Haughton lays out several guidelines for creating HOT teams. These mostly come from Tom Kelley of IDEO. There are three “Don’t” guidelines and four “Do” guidelines. Don’t become rule-bound; don’t be unfair; don’t be mean. The do’s: Like your people; believe in them; listen to them; make teamwork engaging; let them decide. Each of these guidelines has several paragraphs explaining them in further detail.

p>Show more respect. This one comes from the Individual Initiative building block. There is more in this chapter than can be easily summarized, but Haughton looks at a couple of case studies to establish the idea that respect, in every direction, is good for business. One key takeaway for me was the idea that unquestioned deference to a particular leader can be a bad thing. Seems like that makes sense, but I’m often the “tech” leader in offices where I work, and so people defer to my opinions on things they view as “techy.” That’s fine, but I’ve got to be aware of the times when my leadership in a particular area might be so set in stone that others are afraid to say anything counter to my opinion. I certainly don’t actively stifle dissent, and I’ve been fortunate to work with folks who are happy to speak their minds, but I can still see how easy it would be for someone to feel uncomfortable speaking up in the face of apparently overwhelming expertise.

These few ideas barely scratch the surface of what It’s Not What You Say…It’s What You Do has to offer. One last thing I liked about the book was that each building block and each chapter seemed to piggyback well on the previous one. That’s great, but it also presents a huge challenge when faced with this huge new “to do” list of ideas and actions to take back to the office. Not sure how to deal with that yet, but I’m not complaining. There’s no question that this book helps me be a better manager, and that’s what I’m looking for.

"... Past, Present and Future. They are keys to our success." by Jason Womack

2006-06-07T23:04:00.000-04:00

Jason Womack
We succeed when we acknowledge we work and play in different “time zones” - Past, Present and Future. They are keys to our success.

THE PAST
Looking at past successes is a great way to get enthused as well as create positive energy and motivation. In a seminar I delivered for a golf company, an instructor and former golf pro said that when the going gets tough, he goes into the trophy room of his house. He shared with the group, “I have trophies I’ve won, as well as some photos of me when I’m doing well, up on walls. Every time I see them, I remember, I did it once before, and I can do it again.” I agree with his strategy of using visual milestones to stay inspired. I personally have an area in my office with my triathlon race photos and metals hanging on the wall.

Visualizing something different from current reality is a skill you can practice, and an extremely valuable habit to create. It is different from “future fantasizing” or living out of the present. It is the process of preparation. If you have done something once, chances are high that you can repeat that performance!

THE PRESENT
A key to your success is to continually come back to where you are. There is power in the present. Change never happens in the future, it always starts now. In fact, you are practicing for change right now … or not. You will learn a lot about yourself, and the process of reaching your goals, as you look at your present situations.

An interesting way to spend your time, present moment to present moment, is to keep a “time log.” Write, in 15-minute increments, the blocks of time from morning to night-time. Then, during the day, actually fill in, for each 15-minute block of time, what you are doing. At the end of three days of this, you will have an excellent perspective of your use of your “present.” In my experience, I learn about the time I invest in high-value and low-value activities.

THE FUTURE
We all think about the future. It’s natural, exciting…and fun! Using our imagination, we image-in pictures that we want to come true. This is positive visualization.

Have you ever been known, however, to image-in pictures of things you want to avoid?

In fact, some people are more motivated to image-in negative scenarios, and tolerate negative scripts when they talk to themselves.

A way to maximize the process of “thinking about the future” is to take time, on purpose, to focus on what you want. Clearly define and visualize it. You can do this with words – actually writing on sheets of paper or note cards. You can do this with pictures – drawing or cutting photos out of magazines. You can do this audibly – by recording yourself reading motivational or inspirational quotes. I’m currently reading a book called The Mind Map Book (by Tony Buzan, with Barry Buzan), which has great insights into how this all works.

One key is to re-view (over and over and over again) those images you’re moving toward. The more you image-in what you want, you’ll begin identifying yourself as the self you already are. Use your past, acknowledge your present, and expand into your future.

Stupid Ideas Of The Past: The Open Door

2006-06-02T23:08:00.000-04:00

I was going to write today about how un-productive it is to be constantly accessible by implementing an “open door policy”. Then I saw this thread on Davis Allen’s Getting Things Done board and realized that there are actually various kinds of open doors.

There is the door to your office or any other physical access to you, sitting at your desk. There is mail and mail notifiers, there are phones and – even worse – your Blackberry. And there is snail mail, memos and faxes being delivered to your physical inbox.

So, what’s wrong here? There is clearly nothing wrong with mails and phone calls and people dropping by your place. What is wrong, though, is the way how these intrusions keep you from doing what you intent to do at this point in time. You are getting de-focused and distracted. You allow others to change your agenda and your priorities.

Take a look at this scenario: You are sitting at your desk, working on a quarterly report that is due within hours. Your door is open and somebody from your staff pops in with a quick question. Sounds familiar? Sure does. Now, what is really happening here? First of all, those quick questions usually are minor problems that somebody other than you should be responsible to solve. But that might take time, effort and creativity. On the other hand, it is so easy to just pass the problem on to you. In a situation like that, 80 % of all managers would probably drop whatever they are currently doing and eagerly look into the problem because it makes them feel good, needed and important.

In essence, this means that these managers allow their staff to change their priorities in a split second, without even thinking about it, just because they have implemented an “open door policy”. If you are like that, how can you possibly get things done? You can not.

How can you avoid being constantly moved away from your priorities? It is actually quite easy, but it does require you to be aware of the situation and to be sensitive, because there might be real emergencies that need immediate attention and you want to be accessible for your staff, but just not at any time.

In the case of the open door, I have changed it to “this door is open when open and closed when closed”. So if you need to work on that report, close your door and let people know that they better have a very good reason to open it. It works really well for me, but requires some retraining of staff.

How about mail? I check my Lotus Notes inbox three times a day and use no mail notifier that would distract me. There is very rarely a mail message that can not wait for two or three hours. The rule for my physical inbox is that I empty it once within 24 hours, no matter what. Just make sure that the people you work with know and understand these rules and adopt to them. If you do, you set your agenda and your priorities and hardly anybody else. (Rule does not apply to my wife and my boss, of course.)

i-manage

Connect with people where it matters.

2006-05-26T09:29:00.000-04:00

Connect with people where it matters.

A lesson from my friend Maxine Clark, Founder and Chief Executive Bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop, in her new book THE BEAR NECESSITIES OF BUSINESS: Building A Company With Heart.

"I have many good friends. If you gathered them all in one room, I'm sure they'd look like a mismatched bunch. Young and old. Men and women. Children and adults. Sophisticated and simple. Tall and short. Well educated and only street smart. Democrats and Republicans.

"But where it matters -- on the inside -- they're very much alike. And that's where I connect with them. They are my friends because we share common values, interests, experiences, and passions. They care about and believe in the same things that I do. And, like me, they have heart.

"My friendships have shown me how important it is to look inside to find out what people really stand for. That's crucial when you're choosing people to welcome into your life. It's essential when selecting employees for your company as well."

Connect with people where it matters -- the heart.

And check out Maxine's book. We can all learn a lot from her.

THE BEAR NECESSITIES OF BUSINESS: Building A Company With Heart

Warmest,
Keith Ferrazzi
Visit NeverEatAlone.com

Make the Pain Stop! by Mark Joyner

2006-05-23T23:24:00.000-04:00

Visit Mark Joyner for more of his

personal development brain puzzle cartoons.

NLP: Down To Business - Peter Freeth

2006-05-08T13:24:00.000-04:00

Book Shaker - Articles - Business Growth - NLP: Down To Business - Peter Freeth

As I look around the NLP training industry, I see a number
of established and well known training providers moving into
corporate consultancy under the guise of "organisational
psychology" and other similar concepts. It strikes me that
they've realised there is more money in corporate training
than in their more therapeutically oriented, privately
funded customers and now they're trying to make NLP credible
in a business context. I think that they are missing the
point: it already is.

I suppose my route into NLP has biased me towards its
business applications. My first exposure was on an internal
sales training course at a major telecoms company, where the
training school was run by a NLP Master Practitioner which,
in 1993, was unusual in the UK. The three day course became
a cult and anyone who could get on the course did. This cult
status was fuelled by many intriguing stories, such as the
sales team who used non-verbal rapport to influence their
sales manager. During each weekly sales meeting, the manager
intended to give the sales staff a hard time about their
figures. At the end of the meeting he felt inexplicably good
about not having done it. How could you resist finding out
more about that?

From that moment on, I used what I knew about NLP every day
- in sales meetings, in team meetings and in just about
every way you could imagine. I was lucky in being able to
get the tools and techniques of NLP out of my system early
on and instead concentrate on results. No-one cares about
swishes or six step reframes - they just want whatever they
want.

I started with just a few simple ideas that I used
regularly. At first, I paid attention to the language that
my customers used and when I wrote proposals for them, I
used their sensory language. That also came in very handy in
job interviews too and really enhanced my ability to build
rapport quickly. After job interviews, I also wrote follow-
up letters in the sensory style of the interviewing manager,
and they were always amazed and impressed. Of course, the
fact that I bothered to write a follow-up letter was the
most important thing. The language I used just made it more
powerful. If you don't bother to get the basics right, no
amount of NLP wizardry will help you.

I have come to think of NLP as an operating system. By
itself it doesn't do anything useful. Only the applications
you run on it are useful. Consequently, it's very difficult
for companies like Microsoft to sell operating systems, so
they partner with PC hardware manufacturers. Similarly, I
have found that my NLP skills enable far more useful
applications such as facilitation, conflict resolution and
problem solving. These are good old fashioned consultancy
services that clients are happy to pay money for. Are
clients happy to pay money for NLP? None that I have ever
met.

The point is that being a NLP Practitioner is in itself not
a living, but it does enable you to do something else more
effectively. For example, if you're a good salesperson you
could become an amazing salesperson. If you're an effective
manager you could become an inspiring manager. You need an
application to run on your NLP operating system.

I see many people who want to become coaches or NLP trainers
themselves and, of course, this is excellent because they
are excited about their new skills and want to use them to
help other people. Unfortunately, they overlook the basics
of running a business and all too often fail to realise
their dream. This is a great pity, and I think there's a
responsibility on the people selling NLP and coaching
training to point this out before they take your money.

When the time came for me to leave the telecoms industry and
set up my own business, I knew that NLP would be a part of
it as I saw the basic skills as being highly transferable
and without a shelf life. Technical skills such as IT
knowledge have a shelf life - if you don't keep up with the
latest thing, your knowledge quickly becomes worthless. The
great thing about NLP is that the core modelling toolkit
means you can be constantly developing and refining new
models of excellence to form the basis of your consultancy,
training or coaching work.

For example, about a year ago I worked with a number of
sales people on the problem of cold calling. I learned a
huge amount from them, and that experience created a little
niche for me, and I ended up writing a series of articles
for a recruitment magazine called "How to love your sales
calls".

So why do I say that NLP is already credible in business?
Because the client doesn't need to know that what you're
doing is NLP, or TA, or SDI, or whatever the latest thing
is. They just want to work with a professional who can get
results. On the NLP Practitioner courses I co-train, I
really enjoy working with the people who come from a broad
cross section of industries and want to learn a new set of
skills to help them be better at their jobs. I admire the
fact that they don't all want to become coaches, they just
want to be better managers, IT directors, project managers,
engineers or sales people. They see NLP as the answer to
their development needs because they have reached the level
where they know what they need to do, they just don't seem
to be able to do it.

You might be hoping I'll share some examples of some
business applications of NLP, so I will. Let's start with
logical levels. This is one of the most useful conflict
resolution tools I have ever used. You simply listen to the
level at which the people in conflict are thinking and then
keep moving up until they agree.

Six step reframing is an excellent framework for changing
organisational behaviour. If you translate 'part' into
'department' then it fits perfectly! It's ideal for changing
those bad habits that companies get into yet can't seem to
get out of, no matter how much everyone wants to. In fact,
my book Change Magic grew from this seed.

I ran some in house training for a recruitment company last
year, and now one of the consultants anchors positive states
in her clients and candidates by touching them on the arm!
It's amazing how many people try anchoring on the training
course and then decide they would never use it in 'real
life', because the people who do use it are able to do so
elegantly and tactfully and get great results. Are you
thinking she is being manipulative? Why? Think of someone
you know who is very popular and who tends to make people
feel good. I bet they anchor all the time, but they don't
know they're doing it. This recruitment consultant is doing
it purposefully, so she can get consistent results which are
better for her, her clients and her candidates. As a
professional, she is using all her skills and knowledge to
be as effective as possible. That's where I see people get
the most benefit from NLP training.

And now for my favourite - the swish. On the NLP
Practitioner course, the swish is demonstrated and learned
as a phobia cure, replacing an old image with a new one
whilst the Practitioner waves their arms and makes a
'whoosh' sound. Most of the delegates feel a bit silly
trying the swish, and even if they are successful on the
training course, they often say that they can't imagine how
they could ever use it in the outside world. And then, just
when they've written it off, I show them how the swish
really works and they love it! They all run off saying "I'm
going to do that next week!"

Every single time you read a report or proposal, use a
flipchart of whiteboard or write on a notepad, you have the
potential to use a swish pattern to reset expectations, wipe
away unhelpful thoughts or states and swap ideas and
concepts around in someone's mind. Now, I feel like I have
developed this application of the swish after a lot of hard
work, so I'm wary about giving away the trade secrets that
I've invested so much of my own creativity in. On the other
hand, I trust you, as a member of the worldwide NLP
community, to keep this to yourself. You could think of this
as a magic trick, and I'm only allowed to tell you about it
if you're in the 'inner circle'.

Imagine you're in a meeting and your customer has a lot of
complaints. You say "these are really important points so I
want to capture them to make sure we address them". That's
pacing, by the way. Then you move to the flipchart. Start
writing down the complaints as the customer just reels them
off, as if they are just pouring out their problems. When
you get about two-thirds down the page, stop and review what
you have so far to really amplify the customer's state. Then
tear the page off, right in front of them. "Whoosh". Screw
the paper into a ball and throw it over the customer so it
lands behind them, in their past. Then, while they are still
on pause, say "Sorry, I did that all wrong. Tell me what it
is you want to happen" and start again, this time focussing
the customer on positive outcomes rather than complaints.
It's important they get those off their chest, but they
don't help anyone to solve the problems.

Another great way to use this is on a notepad, which means
you can do it anywhere. It's ideal for moving someone out of
a stuck state, which is often the case if they have a number
of problems or complaints on their mind.

Here's another version, which you can combine with spatial
anchoring when comparing your product or service with a
competitors. You simply list the customer's problems on
flipchart A and their needs on flipchart B. When you turn
the pages to do your comparison…well, you can guess which
flipchart you use for which. It's useful, whilst writing
down your comparison points, to flip back and forth between
your features and the customer's needs, and your
competitor's features and the customer's problems.

And of course, if you're using a whiteboard, you can simply
wipe away all the problems.

I often use a swish at the start of a training course, when
I want to get rid of any preconceptions and start with a
clean slate. I'll start by pacing the audience's
expectations and then when the flipchart is almost full I'll
tear it off, throw it away and tell them how the course will
really be. I can even hear the sighs of relief as the
audience realises how the course will be so much better than
they had expected.

Overall, I would say the single most important and valuable
NLP skill I have is modelling. NLP, at its core, is only
modelling. All of the tools and techniques you learn on a
NLP course are simply useful ways to demonstrate and learn
the techniques, but they're not necessarily the best way to
get results outside of the training room. Do you drive the
way your driving instructor taught you to? Same thing.

The techniques of NLP are the result of Bandler and
Grinder's modelling projects. Does that mean that Milton
Erickson was the only person to use influential language? Of
course not. I've met people who naturally set goals at least
as powerfully as you could with Well Formed Outcomes. I
consider myself very fortunate that I've been able to model
so many people. I learn something new from every client I
work with, because I am always open to the myriad of ways
that ordinary people achieve amazing things. Whether it's
someone motivating themselves to train for a marathon or
someone motivating themselves to make sales calls, everyone
I work with has valuable skills that I can learn. That for
me is the real power of NLP.

So, NLP is already credible and acceptable in business
simply because business is about people. I often say that
words like 'company' or 'organisation' are simply collective
nouns for groups of people, acting for a common purpose.
They're no different to any other people. If you want to
apply NLP in business then realise that people are already
communicating, relating, influencing and learning in
businesses. Using NLP, you can make those natural processes
even more powerful and effective.

I hear from a lot of people in companies who say "we don't
use NLP, it doesn't work for us" and I know they are missing
out on a great opportunity because they already are using
NLP, it's just hidden inside other services. Whilst HR
managers may resist NLP because they only see the
techniques, there's a revolution starting from within that
promises to make NLP a mainstream business development
toolkit.

At the moment, much of NLP is hidden inside other training
courses, consultancy models and professional services. It
doesn't really matter whether the customer knows there's NLP
in there or not as long as they continue to get the
professional service they want, the value they expect and
the results they need. As I learned on my first customer
service course, 20 years ago, "people don't care how much
you know until they know how much you care".

Perhaps, in the past, people have tried to sell NLP without
knowing what it does. They've been like the presenters on
home shopping channels rambling on and on about how
wonderful something is without ever saying what it will do
for me, or what will happen if I buy it. Many coaches don't
know how to sell coaching, so they offer free taster
sessions. That's all changing now, because established
professionals are learning about and applying NLP in the
course of their work. Accountants, lawyers, sales people, IT
directors and CEOs are learning about NLP because they want
to be better at their jobs, not because they want to become
coaches.

As a global professional community, it's our responsibility
and our privilege to apply NLP in businesses to solve real
business problems and help business people develop real,
practical business skills. It's our responsibility to take
the spirit of NLP and adapt it to our customer's needs, not
just to take the techniques out of the Practitioner manual
and hope for the best. It's our responsibility to honour
NLP's spirit of curiosity and to use that as the basis for
our professional development, not just to say "I know how to
do NLP" because you can remember all seven steps of the six
step reframe.

NLP has the potential to offer the first significant upgrade
to the human operating system that powers businesses since
the industrial revolution. I believe that NLP offers us the
chance to create a business development infrastructure based
on open communication, focussed results and truly meaningful
relationships. With the power of NLP behind you, you have
both the credibility and the proven potential to make a
powerful difference in business. The rest is up to you.

=======================================
Peter Freeth is a leading business coach,
author and mentor. Get Peter's books on
NLP for business and personal success at
http://www.bookshaker.com

Sometimes it's best to walk away by Keith Ferrazi

2006-04-25T15:40:00.000-04:00

We've all experienced times when we've met people who made us feel so unwelcome that we had to struggle to avoid telling them off. And we chose to endure the pain until the interaction was over. Well, I think it's time to turn the tables. My advice: Just walk away.

Walking away spares us the embarrassment and misery those people make us feel, and it puts the onus on them to realize their mistakes and possibly mend the new relationship.

Click here to read my new column at Inc.com about how I recently had to do this at a conference and how it ended up turning the negative situation into a positive.

Warmest,

Keith Ferrazzi

The Change Model by Adao Institute for Change

2006-04-14T23:01:00.000-04:00

The Change Model

Change has become an integral part of our world and our marketplace. Managing that change is one of the most challenging tasks facing leaders and managers today. Anyone who has taken responsibility for steering a major change initiative knows that simply controlling the movement and allocation of resources without considering the impact on the people guarantees heightened resistance. It is human nature to resist change of any kind because of the discomfort it creates. When people are simply told and controlled throughout the change process, their resistance will be powerful.

At the Adao Institute for Change, the discipline of Human Change Management does not stand alone. Our model ties in the power of purposeful, continuing feedback and iterative improvement which has been the backbone of continuous productivity and quality improvement since the 1950s.

***

This fundamental Plan, Do, Check, Change™ process is further fuelled by a vibrant nucleus of Core Skills that instil the collaboration, adaptability, and resilience needed to excel in an environment of change.

These three aspects in combination create the Change Model as defined by the Adao Institute for Change.

A central core of critical skills
- Human Dynamics
- Communication
- Problem Solving
Supported by a process of continuous improvement
- Plan, Do, Check, Change™
Augmented by a comprehensive Human Change Management process for navigating more complex change initiatives.
- Awareness
- Acceptance
- Adoption
- Acknowledgement
- Assimilation

Balancing the Scales by Kelly Robertson

2006-03-27T13:57:00.000-05:00

If you’re like most people you are probably working harder and longer than you used to. As a result, finding balance in today’s fast-paced world is more difficult than ever before. Yet, a healthy balance has also never been more important. Here are a few strategies that can help:

1. First and foremost, you must love what you do. We spend over a third of our life at work – doesn’t it make sense to enjoy it? I learned many years ago that the more you enjoy your job or work the more successful you will be. Even a high-pressure job is less stressful when
you fully enjoy it. I know several people who have high-profile and high-pressure careers but they still maintain a sense of balance because they love their business. Enjoying your work gives you more satisfaction and personal fulfillment.
If you find yourself in a job that doesn’t motivate or stimulate you, consider making a change. There are lots of great books on the market that can help you discover what type of work you are best suited for.

2. Make time for family and friends. Regardless how busy you are it is critical to spend time with people who are close to you. In the last several years my wife and I make sure to schedule a ‘date night’ once a week. This usually means having dinner at a local restaurant or going to a movie, show, or concert. Although we often talk about our business it gives us the opportunity to catch up and discuss things we don’t always find time to talk about during the rest of the week. Spending time with friends is also a great way to recharge mentally, particularly if your friends are not employed in the same industry.

3. Find a hobby. I think it is important to engage yourself in a pastime or hobby because they help you forget about work for a while. My two favourite pastimes are reading and running. In additional to releasing stress, this ‘escape’ helps recharge your batteries and maintain your objectivity. Plus, a clear energized mind is more creative and open to accepting new ideas.

4. Schedule “me” time. As selfish as it sounds we all need a few hours of personal time. I usually schedule this when my wife is out running errands. Most of the time I’ll read, watch a movie, or sometimes take a nap. I don’t feel guilty for taking this time to myself because it actually helps my marriage by allowing me to engage in something I fully enjoy without worrying about distractions from other people. One word of caution, “Me” time should not be scheduled at the sacrifice of others or occupy a large portion of your schedule. If you have been on a business trip for a week it’s not fair to your family to schedule the entire weekend as “me” time.

5. Take vacations. Vacations are critical to your well-being. It is essential to take a break from the hectic and fast-paced business world. Too many people in business wave their lack of vacation time as a badge of honour but I feel that a lack of a break from the business negatively affects your ability to perform at your maximum potential. When I started my business, I set a goal of taking a one-week break at least three times a year. I adhered to this goal in the first three years because I made sure to plan my breaks early in the year.
Then in my fourth year I neglected to plan this time off. Before I knew it, October had rolled around and I still hadn’t taken any time off. By this time, I was feeling burned out, I experienced more stress, and I had less energy, drive and motivation.

6. Disconnect yourself. Today’s technology has made it very difficult for us to completely disconnect from business. I find that I am drawn to email on the weekends and even on vacations. We don’t want to miss anything and sometimes our boss even requires that we stay connected to the office on our time off. However, I strongly believe that disconnecting yourself completely from voice mail, email, your PDA and BlackBerry is essential to creating some semblance of balance in our lives. There is no question that you will have more work to catch up on when you return to work but this complete break helps your brain recharge.
I won’t suggest that creating this balance is easy – it’s not. However, with a bit of focus and attention you can start to balance the scales. It’s worth the effort.

© 2006 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved

Kelley Robertson, President of the Robertson Training Group, works with businesses to help them increase their sales and motivate their employees. Receive a FREE copy of “100 Ways to Increase Your Sales” by subscribing to his free newsletter available at http://www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.
For information on his programs, contact him at 905-633-7750 or Kelley@RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.

Books that will change your life!

2006-03-26T19:00:00.000-05:00

Ken Blanchard is one of my favourite authors. The One Minute Manager series explore the skills to become an effective self leader and can help any manager to assist his people to become peak performers.

Self Leadership and the One Minute Manager clearly and thoroughly reveals how power, freedom, and autonomy come from having the right mind-set and the skills needed to take personal responsibility for success.

Ultimately, It's In

Your Own Best

Interest To Accept

Responsibility

For Getting What

You Need

To Succeed In

The Workplace.

The One Minute Manager is an easily read story which quickly shows you three very practical management techniques. The credo of the one-minute manager rests on the implementation of three ideas, namely: the need to establish clear-cut goals, the need to praise good performance, and the need to reprimand people when their performance fails to contribute to the attainment of commonly agreed goals. This three basic ideas are known as the three secrets of the one-minute manager, namely: one-minute goals, one-minute praisings and one-minute reprimands.

I highly recommend these books. They have life changing lessons that I plan to implement in my every day. They taught me to look at empowerment as an opportunity to think, communicate, and cooperate more effectively. Also, to get what we need, we should start by taking the lead within our organizations, and

“DISCOVER THE MAGIC OF NO EXCUSES”

The Two Choices We Face by Jim Rohn

2006-03-25T11:47:00.000-05:00

Each of us has two distinct choices to make about what we will do with our lives. The first choice we can make is to be less than we have the capacity to be. To earn less. To have less. To read less and think less. To try less and discipline ourselves less. These are the choices that lead to an empty life. These are the choices that, once made, lead to a life of constant apprehension instead of a life of wondrous anticipation.

And the second choice? To do it all! To become all that we can possibly be. To read every book that we possibly can. To earn as much as we possibly can. To give and share as much as we possibly can. To strive and produce and accomplish as much as we possibly can. All of us have the choice.

To do or not to do. To be or not to be. To be all or to be less or to be nothing at all.

Like the tree, it would be a worthy challenge for us all to stretch upward and outward to the full measure of our capabilities. Why not do all that we can, every moment that we can, the best that we can, for as long as we can?

Our ultimate life objective should be to create as much as our talent and ability and desire will permit. To settle for doing less than we could do is to fail in this worthiest of undertakings.

Results are the best measurement of human progress. Not conversation. Not explanation. Not justification. Results! And if our results are less than our potential suggests that they should be, then we must strive to become more today than we were the day before. The greatest rewards are always reserved for those who bring great value to themselves and the world around them as a result of who and what they have become.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

Jim Rohn is considered to be America's Foremost Business Philosopher. To subscribe to the Free Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine send a blank email to mailto:subscribe@jimrohn.com Also to learn more about Jim’s best-selling CDs, books and videos/DVDs, as well as receive 20-60% off on all, including Take Charge of Your Life, The Five Major Pieces and Building Your Network Marketing Business, go to http://www.jimrohn.com Copyright © 1999, 2006 Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved worldwide.

Self-Induced-Whiplash.com

2006-03-12T10:53:00.000-05:00

THE MOMENTUM FORMULA:
MOMENTUM = GOALS + ATTITUDE + SKILL SET + ACTION + NETWORK

YOUR CAREER PROGRESS IS A FUNCTION OF:

GOALS: DETERMINING WHAT YOU WANT
ATTITUDE: APPROACHING EVER TASK WITH THAT GOAL IN MIND
SKILL SET: GAINING KNOWLEDGE ON HOW TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING
ACTION: GETTING IN MOTION
NETWORK: SURROUNDING YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT YOU

THE GOOD NEWS IS, YOU'RE IN CONTROL OF ALL FIVE OF THE KEY FACTORS THAT DICTATE HOW MUCH MOMENTUM YOU CREATE IN YOUR CAREER.

WANT TO FIND OUT IF YOU'RE ACCELERATING FAST ENOUGH TO GIVE YOURSELF CAREER WHIPLASH?

go to http://radicalcareering.com/action.php

9 Seconds by Jerry Hocutt

2006-03-08T13:10:00.000-05:00

That was the time left on the Rose Bowl clock when quarterback Vince Young cleaned USC’s. Well, maybe not cleaned their clock but he certainly stopped it and their 34 game winning streak. The University of Texas Longhorns went on to upset the favored USC Trojans in one of college football’s most memorable national championship games 41-38. It was all over with 19 seconds left, except for the singing of “The Eyes of Texas”. (Okay, okay, I’ll admit I’m from Texas, but we haven’t been able to gloat since 1969.)

But not to worry. Today’s article is not about the Longhorn’s stunning upset. (Just had to get it in again.) It’s about getting what you want. Ran across an interesting book couple of weeks ago by T. Harv Eker, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. It makes you feel a little uneasy reading it. The theme of the book is about getting what you want. Made me think. Can you? Get what you want?

Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns did. Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, and the USC Trojans didn’t. How do you square Eker’s belief that you can get what you want when you don’t?

***
The point? Set goals for yourself. Want something. This is the only way things get done. The only way you’ll stretch yourself and grow. The only way you can have a positive impact on others. Everything you have today you have because someone wanted to create it. Someone wanted to market it. You wanted to buy it. If you get what you want, that’s icing on the cake. If you don’t, you’ve grown and you’ll learn how to do something even better on the other side. You’ll have fun along the way. The journey becomes the destination.

What will give you the confidence to go after what you want? Try this. Picture something you’ve accomplished in the past. Something you got that you wanted really, really badly. Got the picture? Okay, now say to yourself, “I can (not will, but can) get what I want. I know. I’ve done it before.” Remind yourself every day until you get it. How do you know it works? Did you ever get anything you wanted? Then you know. You’ve done it before.

www.You'veGotContacts.com

Seth's Blog: Understanding Local Max

2006-03-07T23:14:00.000-05:00

My guess is that you've been wrestling with your Local Max.

If your organization or even your career is stuck, it may just be because of this chart.

Everyone starts at that dot at the bottom left corner. You're not succeeding because you haven't started yet.

Then you try something. If it works, you end up at point A.

A is where you see results as the direct output of a strategy and hard work. A is the job you got after investing in an MBA. A is the sales you got after running an ad.

Of course, being a success-oriented capitalist, that's not enough. So you do more. You push and hone and optimize until you end up at the Local Max. The Local Max is where your efforts really pay off.

So you try harder. And you end up at point B. Point B is a bummer. Point B is backwards. Point B is where the outcome of more effort against your strategy doesn't return better results. So you retreat. You go back to your Local Max.

And that is where most people stay. Most people get stuck at the Local Max because changing strategy in any direction (this is really a 3D chart, but I've smushed it to make it easier) leads to poorer results.

You've got a very good job as an art director. To do better, you'd either have to move to another firm, move to another town, switch careers or go back to school. And all of them have costs and very uncertain returns, so you stay.

You have 100 competitors in an industry that is self-described as a commodity. You use the same tactics your competition does, because if you change your pricing or fundamentally alter your marketing outreach, you get punished in terms of sales or profits.

You've got summer camp with 80 kids in it. If you want to grow, you've learned the hard way that hiring one or two more senior staff people won't work, because you can't afford them. So you stick with what you've got.

The lie of Local Max is this: the chart is incomplete. It really looks like this:

Local Max isn't actually that great when you realize that Big Max is not particularly far away.

The problem is that to get to Big Max, you need to go through step C, which is a horrible and scary place to be.

There were 10,000 single-location hamburger restaurants in the world when Ray Kroc decided to build a giant chain of franchised McDonald's. Anyone could have done it. No one did. Because everyone who tried had to go through point C to get there. It took Colonel Sanders more than a decade of pain to get through point C.

Of course, it's not just about growing sales or revenues. The Big Max/Local Max paradox affects everything from education to non-profits to politicians. If you have a "Max", whatever you're measuring, the odds are you're actually dealing with a Local Max, not the Big one.

If your market is changing, this idea is even more important to understand. That's because changing markets are always surfacing new Big Max points, and the only way to get to them is to go through the pain (yes, it's painful) of point C.

You can't reinvent yourself and your organization until you deal with the fear of point C, and that's hard to do without talking about it. I think the benefit of the Local Max curve is that it makes it easy for you and your team to have the conversation.

Seth Godin is the best-selling author of Survival Is Not Enough.

Your Premeire Resource for Negotiation Skills Training

2006-03-01T11:13:00.000-05:00

"Your premier resource for sharpening your negotiation skills, strengthening your negotiation technique or providing negotiation training for your organization.

When you hear the word negotiation, what enters your mind? A buyer or seller haggling over the price of a product? A hostage held at gunpoint? Two large organizations putting together a merger? Getting your teenager to clean his room? Deciding where to go for dinner with your spouse? All of these are great examples of negotiating and clearly illustrate that Everyone Negotiates. For over fifteen years, we've had the privilege of enhancing negotiation skills, developing negotiation strategies, and sharpening negotiation technique through our negotiation training programs.

Our programs hold the unique distinction of being carefully customized for business negotiation professionals. So, whether you are a sales or marketing professional, purchasing manager or contract administrator, financial service professional, real estate sales professional, educator, collection agent/loss mitigation specialist, or general business professional, we have training programs and resources to help you become an even more confident and successful negotiator."

How Good a Negotiator Are You?

Determine Your Negotiating Style

Visit our website at www.everyonenegotiates.com for more great resources negotiation

Aikido and the Art of Selling - by Ari Galper Founder of Unlock The Game

2006-02-24T14:21:00.000-05:00

"A SALE is always made. Either you sell the customer on YES or he sells you on NO!" - Jeffrey Gitomer

This quote represents very well all "SALES" situations in our day by day lives. Ari Galper has a an interesting approach on how to overcame objections, which can be easy related to a job interview for example. Enjoy!

"Imagine being in a crowded concert or bar. All of a sudden, a fight breaks out between two men who’ve had too much to drink.

You happen to be a few steps away, and the next thing you know, one of the men turns to you and looks as if he’s going to take a swing at you.

What's your first instinct? Most of us will do one of two things. We’ll either try to step away, or we’ll raise our arms to deflect him and fight back, which can result in harm to you or to your attacker.

But if you were trained in Aikido, the Japanese martial art that focuses on diverting an attacker’s energy, you could quickly diffuse the situation by immobilizing him without harming him in any way.

In essence, you’re diffusing the energy that he’s using to try and attack you in a way that takes the conflict out of the situation.

Unlock The Game and the philosophy behind Aikido have many similarities.

Traditional cold calling and selling are designed to focus only on the “close” by presenting -- or in too many cases, “pushing” -- your solution onto prospects, sometimes even when they’re not interested.

But if you focus only on your goal of making the sale before having a discussion about the problems that you can help your prospects solve, something happens.

They start feeling that you’re “attacking” them. After all, you’re a stranger to them, and when you start talking about yourself and your solution rather than about them and their specific issues, you immediately trigger their suspicion and cause them to start “pushing back.”

This pushback is the resistance or energy that Unlock The Game teaches you to diffuse. Then both of you can quickly “get on the same page” and open a natural dialogue that will let you determine whether it makes sense for you to work together.

Let's look at two real selling scenarios -- cold calling and “get-you-off-the-phone” objections:

Scenario 1: Cold Calling

Suppose you’re at your desk and you receive a call from someone who says “Hi, my name is Jack Johnson, I'm with XYZ Company, and we’re a full-solution provider of...” Is your first reaction to welcome and be open to his call? Or do your mental defenses immediately kick in and you shut down against this stranger “salesperson”?

Probably the latter, especially if you sense that the caller is focused on his interests and not yours.

That’s why this old-school cold calling approach triggers the resistance and negative energy that prospects immediately throw your way.

The Unlock The Game way to make a successful cold call -- "successful” being defined as not triggering rejection -- is by beginning your call with, “Hi, my name is Jack, maybe you can help me out for a moment?” That simple question is a very natural way of beginning a conversation with a stranger.

But you can't just read this word for word, like a script. It won’t work. That would be like an Aikido instructor teaching a first-time student the physical movements before he or she has learned the philosophy necessary to carry them out.

The same applies here. First you need to integrate a new Mindset that changes the goal of your call from making the sale, or getting an appointment, to engaging the person in a natural two-way dialogue.

To do this, your voice has to be low-key. You have to avoid communicating any hint of typical “salesperson” enthusiasm, or any sense that you’re trying to direct the conversation to an end goal. Once you integrate the Mindset, all this kicks in naturally.

So, if you want to succeed in prospecting and cold calling, become aware of how you might be triggering the resistance or energy that instinctively causes prospects to push back against you.

Scenario 2: “Get-you-off-the-phone” objections

Here’s another example. Forget the idea of “overcoming objections.” Doing that only triggers more resistance from prospects that’s very difficult to diffuse.

Think about it for a moment. When prospects give a reason why they don’t want to proceed --when they “put up resistance” -- you’ve been trained to “overcome” their objections rather than to diffuse their resistance by acknowledging that what they’re telling you is their truth.

By applying the Unlock The Game Mindset™ and skills, you diffuse that resistance and remove the conflict from the situation, just as in Aikido.

Here’s the Unlock The Game™ process for dealing with objections:

1. Diffuse the objection with “That's not a problem... (Pause)”

2. Acknowledge the truth of their objection (see the sample language below).

3. Reopen the conversation with “Would you be open to…”

For example, suppose a prospect says, “We already have a vendor.” The path of diffusing and reengaging would go like this:

1. “That's not a problem…(Pause)”

2. “I wasn't calling to replace the vendor you’re currently using.” Here, you’re addressing their suspicion that your only focus is on making the sale and on ripping out their relationship with their current vendor. You’re simply asking whether they would be open to different ideas that might help them solve a problem. This diffuses the tension.

3. “Would you be open to some different ideas that you might not be using now?” After the tension is dissolved, this lets you reopen the conversation in a natural way because they clearly understand that your goal is to help them. Then, if things are a match between you, you can decide where to go from there.

Keep in mind that this process will work only if you fully integrate the Mindset so it feels as natural to you as breathing.

In short, if you’re using any form of traditional selling, you could be triggering a resistance every time you communicate with your prospect.

But if you learn this new Mindset, along with words and phrases that remove any conflict or tension from the relationship, you’ll have taken your first steps toward your black belt in unlocking the cold calling game!"

Ari Galper is the creator of Unlock The Game™, a new sales mindset that overturns the notion of "selling" as we know it today.

THE PATH IS CLEAR by Irene Becker

2006-02-21T10:40:00.000-05:00

JUST JOY WORDS OF PASSION, PURPOSE AND POTENTIAL FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 8TH, 2006
THE PATH IS CLEAR © 2006 Irene Becker
We can run, we can hide, but we can’t escape the velocity of change
And yet the more things change, and the greater the complexity of our lives,
The clearer the path.
Because, our world has become like a narrow bridge…a bridge that is wobbling under the strain of the same unremitting need, greed and ego that has felled every fiefdom, empire and recently toppled once great corporations.

And, today, in an era of where the technology and knowledge at our disposal are greater than ever before, the World Health Organization forecasts that stress will be the major cause of disability by the year 2020.

The war for talent is ongoing, and the human and financial costs and casualties of our epidemic of stress continue to skyrocket.

For, today we each fight a silent war to reclaim the values, ignite the faith and engage the potential that can help us build better lives, better businesses and contribute to a better world at the speed of change.

A silent war that is eroding the quality of our lives, our workplaces, our leadership and adding to lives of quiet desperation that are so consumed with living faster and working harder than ever before that we forget that life is a gift to be cherished and savoured.

It is time to take back the power that is found in expressing our unique potential; and the joy that is realized in embracing our values regardless of our circumstances.

For while many of us feel that we are living in the worst of times….

The very changes, challenges and even crucibles we face can help us create the best of times.

And, while many of us feel powerless, we are not!

Because, the greatest power we possess lies in aligning the power of our heads with the strength of our hearts.

For when we can recognize that we are one people, sharing one planet,

We can discover that the basic human truths and universal values guide all good men and women, in different ways and through different paths.

And, we can start to use the changes we face to realize the power and joy within and to to heal, rebuild and restore

Our best selves, best work, and our best world
One woman, one man, one values driven step at a time.

The path is clear.

Happy New Year.
Yours in service,
Irene Becker, CCTA, Chief Success Officer, Just Coach It
Just Coach It offers boundary-less coaching, assessments, strategies, workshops and articles that focus on building potential, values and the emotional intelligence competencies that creates better lives, better leadership and better organizations at the speed of change. Visit us on the web at www.justcoachit.com. Irene welcomes your comments and suggestions at irene@justcoachit.com

Are You Having Fun? - by Kelley Robertson

2006-02-20T13:54:00.000-05:00

Daniel,

As I watched the Winter Olympics this past week I heard a common theme from several of the medal winners…they were all having fun. In fact, one bronze medal winner stated that he had not performed to his full potential earlier in the competition because he stopped focusing on enjoying himself. Many other first-time athletes also said that previous Olympian’s encouraged them to live in the moment and enjoy the experience.

I have always been a firm believer that people must enjoy themselves if they want to achieve long-term success. This means believing in your product/service, the company you represent, and the people you deal with. The most successful people I know earning six-figure incomes love what they do and they have fun doing it.

I have heard many people complain about their work and their company, yet they refuse to take action to change. If you catch yourself saying, “I’d rather be doing something else” maybe you need to take a good look at your situation. In the long run you only short-change yourself from an enjoyable career and limit your earning potential.
***********************************************************************************

If you spend a lot of time in your car and you listen to motivational material then you should check out my most popular audio CD, "Sales is NOT a Four-Letter Word" here.

Have a productive and profitable week!

Kelley Robertson

Time management articles and more for better productivity

2006-02-17T15:30:00.000-05:00

Time Management Goals

Find all of our article information related to time management:

Problems in time management can be related to one or more of

What is Time Management

Time management composed of three essential processes

Poor Time Management

Clear defined goals

Monitoring your Time

Pinpointing Emotional Blocks to Change

Becoming Better Organized

Not all top-priority activities can be finished

Ensure that ‘To do’ lists are linked to the achievement of your longer-term goals

Do the most important and demanding jobs when you are normally at your best

Strategies of Good Time Management

7 tips for better time management

Determining the 4 levels of Task Priority:

The majority of your time should be devoted to important (i.e. goal-directed) but not urgent activities (category 2).

Work ahead of your assignments

Carry your Calendar with you

How to Develop a System of Time Planning and Management

Develop and Implement a Time Management Plan

Overcoming procrastination

What is Procrastination?

Do I Procrastinate?

Three causes of procrastination

Anxiety:
This is based on perceived threats to your self-esteem if you engage in the avoided task.

Low frustration tolerance (LFT):
This refers to your perceived inability to endure frustration, boredom, hard work, uncomfortable feelings, setbacks, etc., so unpleasant tasks are avoided or quickly given up when started.

Rebellion:
This is used as a way of expressing your anger towards others by delaying important tasks you want to get back at someone for being told what to do or how to behave.

Understanding procrastination

Procrastination Elimination Strategies for Time Management

Changing Beliefs and Misperceptions for Better Time Management

Time management check lists

Time management tips free

Personal time management software

Time management for teens

This website and the materials contained herein are provided on an 'as is' basis. Time Management Goals.com, make no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, of any kind with respect to this website or its contents. Time Management Goals.com, disclaim all warranties, expressed or implied, including but not limited to fitness for a particular purpose. Time Management Goals.com, will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from the use of this site, including but not limited to direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, and consequential damages. We reserve the right to modify our site and these disclaimers, terms and conditions at any time and without notice

Time Management Goals.com
822 Sixth St. Norco CA. 92860

Get personal, says networking expert - by Nathan Mallett

2006-02-17T09:16:00.000-05:00

Sales Promotion Magazine - Get personal, says networking expert: "Written by Nathan Mallett

Technology has made it easier to connect with prospects and colleagues instantly, but it has also made it harder to relate to clients and prospects personally. Yet we all know that it’s emotions, not data that drives a business relationship.

According to sales consultant and author Richard Abraham, it’s high time we all re-acquainted ourselves with the dying art of making personal connections, networking, and yes, even schmoozing.
That’s why he wrote the newly-released book Mr. Shmooze: The Art and Science of Selling Through Relationships .
“Schmoozing is all about interacting with people in a way that creates feelings of warmth, goodwill, pleasure,” says Abraham, “Just the facts, ma’am, doesn't go deep enough, emotionally, especially when your product or service is a commodity.”
And if you think schmoozing is manipulative or sleazy, you’ve got it dead wrong, says Abraham.
“It’s not about manipulating or even persuading,” says the author. “It's about giving. When you help others, they want to help you in return.”
Abraham offers the five tips for building more personal relationships with people that matter to your business.

· Learn about their interests. Often someone’s passions will be outside the business at hand. Enter the prospect's emotional world, says Abraham. “By paying close attention, you can figure out what really drives them,” he says. “You'll find clues in the photos in their office or the things he brings up in casual conversation. Be alert.”

· Practice the art of elevation. In every interaction, seek to elevate the prospect's experience to a memorable level that goes above the ordinary. Most sales reps might take a client who’s passionate about golf out for an afternoon on the links. Abraham says to aim higher by inviting the client’s son along, for example, or personalizing a set of golf balls as a gift. Make it even more memorable somehow. Use your imagination and be creative, he says.

· It doesn’t have to be lavish. Strengthening a relationship can be done with a lot of little gestures that won’t cost you much at all. Send a link to a Web site related to a client’s passion. Clip an article of interest and fax it to them. Browse the discount bin at the bookstore for a something they might like. “I have a colleague who called on a prospect who happened to be a huge Chicago Cubs fan,” says Abraham. “After leaving the meeting my colleague passed a store with a Cubs tie in the window. He bought it and overnighted it to the prospect. It's very likely that that $20 expenditure, plus postage, won him the account.”

· Follow up, and fast. Follow up a business meeting with a client immediately with a pleasant gesture. “A lot is forgotten in the first 24 hours after a meeting. But if you send someone a book or a tie the very next day, you go a long way toward overcoming that effect,” says Abraham. “Plus, if you make it standard procedure to do your follow-up right away, you won't forget to do it."

· Everyone matters. Abraham suggests using his tactics on everyone from key decision makers to lowly underlings. Why? Because even seemingly unimportant people on the fringes of a business relationship often carry out those all-important "little details" that matter, he says."

CLB Media Inc. disclaims any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the contents of this e-Newsletter and disclaims all liability in respect of the results of any action taken or not taken in reliance upon information in this e-Newsletter.

© CLB Media Inc., 2006. You may forward and reproduce this e-Newsletter without modification, provided that you include this copyright notice and the above-mentioned disclaimer.

ValuesTest by The Boylston Group

2006-02-13T12:03:00.000-05:00

Values_Test_5-15.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Values are the foundation for all of your actions and desires. These truths represent the essence of you.

Print this off for use. For each question below, circle the number to the right that best reflects how
you rate yourself for each question. Use the scale above to select the number.

Interpersonal Communication - DeNovaCo Capacity Edge

2006-02-10T12:38:00.000-05:00

Interpersonal Communication - DeNovaCo Capacity Edge: "Interpersonal Communication

Focus on Interpersonal Communication Skills

Interpersonal communication refers to the process that we use to communicate with another person. Our interpersonal communication skills can be improved through knowledge and practice.

Having great interpersonal communication skills is extremely valuable and often determines your level of success in the workplace and in life.

Did you know that communications experts tell us that only 10% of our communications is represented by what we say? Another 30% is represented by our sounds and 60% by our body language.
In addition to how we verbally express ourselves, interpersonal communication also refers to:

* Body language and facial expressions
* How you say things
* How well you listen
* Respecting the opinion of others
* Knowing when to stop talking to let others speak

Find information and programs to improve your interpersonal communication skills."

Check for more resources Sheridan Park Toastmasters Club

Adaptability

2006-02-07T16:35:00.000-05:00

“Adaptability: A wise man adapts himself to circumstances as water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it”

Attitude is Everything by Jim Rohn

2006-02-06T11:59:00.000-05:00

The process of human change begins within us. We all have tremendous potential. We all desire good results from our efforts. Most of us are willing to work hard and to pay the price that success and happiness demand.

Each of us has the ability to put our unique human potential into action and to acquire a desired result. But the one thing that determines the level of our potential, that produces the intensity of our activity, and that predicts the quality of the result we receive is our attitude.

Attitude determines how much of the future we are allowed to see. It decides the size of our dreams and influences our determination when we are faced with new challenges. No other person on earth has dominion over our attitude. People can affect our attitude by teaching us poor thinking habits or unintentionally misinforming us or providing us with negative sources of influence, but no one can control our attitude unless we voluntarily surrender that control.

No one else "makes us angry." We make ourselves angry when we surrender control of our attitude. What someone else may have done is irrelevant. We choose, not they. They merely put our attitude to a test. If we select a volatile attitude by becoming hostile, angry, jealous or suspicious, then we have failed the test. If we condemn ourselves by believing that we are unworthy, then again, we have failed the test.

If we care at all about ourselves, then we must accept full responsibility for our own feelings. We must learn to guard against those feelings that have the capacity to lead our attitude down the wrong path and to strengthen those feelings that can lead us confidently into a better future.

If we want to receive the rewards the future holds in trust for us, then we must exercise the most important choice given to us as members of the human race by maintaining total dominion over our attitude. Our attitude is an asset, a treasure of great value, which must be protected accordingly. Beware of the vandals and thieves among us who would injure our positive attitude or seek to steal it away.

Having the right attitude is one of the basics that success requires. The combination of a sound personal philosophy and a positive attitude about ourselves and the world around us gives us an inner strength and a firm resolve that influences all the other areas of our existence.

Reprinted with permission
This article was submitted by Jim Rohn, America's Foremost Business Philosopher. To subscribe to the Free Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine go to www.jimrohn.com or send a blank email to subscribe@jimrohn.com Copyright © 2005 Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved worldwide.

Increase Your Earnings 1000%! by Brian Tracy

2006-02-02T12:51:00.000-05:00

Here's an exercise for you; imagine that it's possible for you to earn ten times your current annual wage. If you're earning $25,000, imagine for a moment that it's possible for you to earn $250,000, a 1000% increase.

Believe In Yourself
The first reaction of most people to that exercise is to smile briefly and then to begin thinking about why it isn't possible. One man said to me, "If you knew how many years it's taken for me to get to what I'm earning today you wouldn't be suggesting that I could earn ten times as much."

There Are No Excuses
Mark Twain once wrote that there are a thousand excuses for every failure but never a good reason. The tragedy of the average American is that whereas his or her main preoccupation seems to be money, or the lack thereof, the average person has the inherent potential to earn far more than he or she is doing currently.

Can Someone Be 10x Better?
Is the manager earning $250,000 per year ten times as smart as the manager earning $25,000? 10 times as experienced? Does he or she work 10 times harder? Of course not. None of these are physically or mentally possible, but there are people in every business earning many times more than others with the same average age, experience and intelligence.

I.Q. Doesn't Really Matter
In fact, a few years ago in New York, a thousand men and women were selected at random and tested for I.Q. Between the one having the highest I.Q. in this sample and the one with the lowest, there was a difference of only 2 1/2 times. But between the person earning the most, who by the way, was not the one with the highest I.Q. and the one earning the least, who was not the one with the lowest I.Q., there was a difference of 100X in income.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do to start increasing your earnings:
First, identify the highest earning, most successful people in your field and find out what it is that they are doing differently from others who aren’t doing as well. Copy them every day.
Second, set a goal to double your earnings over the next two or three years and then figure out what you’ll have to do to achieve it. Get started!

ABOUT Brian Tracy

Top Jobs 2006

2006-01-27T15:38:00.000-05:00

Top Jobs 2006: "Finding your dream job can be a real nightmare. Career counselors suggest following your passion, and that's sage advice. Yet outstanding opportunities--jobs that offer high growth potential, good salaries, and intellectual stimulation--aren't always easy to come by. That's why, for the second year in a row, FastCompany.com has surveyed the labor landscape to determine where the best prospects for the coming years can be found."

The Boss Question by Dr. Donald E. Wetmore

2006-01-26T16:30:00.000-05:00

We are all the president and sole stockholder of a major corporation, "Me, Inc.". And, in the context of this discussion, your major customer is your boss. Your boss has a lot of control over your future raises and promotions. Why not ask the "Boss Question", similar to what we would ask our customers and clients, "Boss, how do you know when I am doing a good job for you?".

The Boss Question

What One Thing by Paul Lemberg

2006-01-25T15:49:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I asked my readers what the most important issue was in their business. Hundreds responded with a variety of answers, but one of the most common was, "How do I get everything that needs doing done?"

Business Coaching, Executive Coaching, Priorities

THERE IS ALWAYS ANOTHER CHOICE

2006-01-23T10:49:00.000-05:00

You don't have to buy from anyone.
You don't have to work at any particular job.
You don't have to participate in any given relationship.
You can choose.

You alone steer the course you choose, in the direction
of where you want to be today, tomorrow or in any distant time to come.
You hold the tiller.

You can decide to alter the course of your life at any time.
No one can ever take that away from you.
You can decide what you want and go after it.
It's always your next move.

The Determinant of Your Success by Brian Tracy

2006-01-20T13:09:00.000-05:00

Perhaps the most powerful single factor in your financial success is your beliefs about yourself and money. We call this the Law of Belief. It says simply this: Whatever you believe, with feeling, becomes your reality.

What Successful People Believe
Whatever you intensely believe becomes your reality. That we have a tendency to block out any information coming in to us that is inconsistent with our reality. What we've discovered is that successful people absolutely believe that they have the ability to succeed. And they will not entertain, think about, or talk about the possibilities that they'll fail. They do not even consider the possibility of failure.

Positive Thinking Versus Positive Knowing
You always act in a matter consistent with your beliefs. The most important belief system you can build is a prosperity consciousness where you absolutely believe that you are going achieve your financial goals. We call this positive knowing versus positive thinking. Positive thinking can sometimes be wishing or hoping. But positive knowing is when you absolutely know that no matter what, you will be successful.

The Foundation of Willpower
Another principle related to your beliefs is willpower. We know that willpower is essential to any success. Willpower is based on confidence. It's based on conviction. It's based on faith. It's based on your belief in your ability to triumph over all obstacles. And you can develop willpower by persistence, by working on your goals, by reading the biographies of successful people, by listening to audio programs, by reading books about people who've achieved success. The more information you take into your mind consistent with success, the more likely it is that you will develop the willpower to push you through the obstacles and difficulties you will experience.

Beat The Odds on Success
Remember that success is rare. Only one person in one hundred becomes wealthy in the course of a lifetime. Only five percent achieve financial independence. That means that the odds against you are 19-to-1. The only way that you're going to achieve your financial goals is if you get really serious. To succeed, you must get serious. You must get busy. You must get active. You must get going. Remember, everything counts.

Resolve To Achieve Greatly
Self-mastery, self-control, self-discipline are essential for anyone who wants to achieve greatly. And control over your thoughts is the hardest exercise in self-mastery that you will ever engage in. See if you can talk and think about only what you desire and not talk or think about anything that you don't want for 24 hours. Then you'll see what you're really made of. It's a hard thing to do but with practice, you can reach the point where you are thinking about your goals and desires most of the time. Then, your whole life will change for the better

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do to build a belief system consistent with the financial success you desire:

First, continually repeat to yourself the words, pictures and thoughts consistent with your dreams and goals. Whatever you repeat often enough, over and over, becomes a new belief.

Second, set a goal for yourself to think and talk only about the things that you want for the next 24 hours. This will be one of the hardest things you ever do. But if you can keep your mind on what you want and off of what you don't want for 24 hours, you can begin to change your entire future.

To view Brian's Recommended programs, CLICK HERE.

YOUR LIFE WILL RESPOND TO YOUR OUTLOOK

2006-01-13T15:55:00.000-05:00

The dreams you choose to believe in come to be.
When you feel in your innermost being
that you will achieve what you set out to do,
you open the way for miracles.

Choose to believe something good can happen.
Expecting it to happen energizes your goal
and actually gives it momentum.
What you expect to happen, happens.

If you expect to succeed, you'll succeed

©2006 by Max Steingart
Reproduce freely but maintain © not

Time Management for Results by Brian Tracy

2006-01-13T12:44:00.000-05:00

In Time Management for Results, you're going to learn how to gain at least two hours per day. You may be able to increase your time management effectiveness by fifty percent or even double your output.

So one of the most important things you can think about, and we'll come back to this in a few minutes, is what would you do if you could increase your output by twenty-five or fifty percent per day?

What would it mean to you if you could double your productivity, which you can if you just use these techniques over and over again.

Well, there are four requirements to make these techniques work for you. We call these "The Four D's."

The first D is Desire. It's want. You must have a burning desire to be effective at time management.

The second D is Decision. You must make a decision that you are going to become an expert in this subject. You are going to take this course, you are going to use these materials, you're going to practice them over and over again.
Because what we have found is that in the absence of a decision, nothing ever happens. You need a clear, unequivocal, do-or-die, burn-the-bridges decision that this is a subject that you are going to master.

The third D is Discipline. You must discipline yourself to practice and repeat over and over again good time management techniques. In fact, we say that time management is self-discipline in action. And the ability to discipline yourself, more than anything else, is going to determine your success in life.

And the fourth D to become excellent in time management is Determination. You must have the ability to persist. You must have the determination to keep on keeping at it long enough until you become very very good in this field.

But I promise you this: the payoff is tremendous, because, you see, time management is really life management. Everything you do to improve the quality of your time management will improve and enhance every part of your life. You can even say it this way: the quality of your life is determined by the quality of your time management.

The quality of your life will be determined by the way you use your time minute to minute, hour to hour, day to day, because your time is your life.

So let's talk about a psychology of time management. How do we change our mindset in such a way that we become really really effective at managing our time?
Well we start off with the very simple fact that...
Read the full article here

Being Clear or Being Tough by Blair Singer

2006-01-06T09:48:00.000-05:00

Is it true that to be successful in business you have to be tough? If that is true, does that also mean that if you are not a ‘tough’ person that you will not succeed? I don’t think so. Is there hope for that genuinely nice individual or are they destined to be run over and taken advantage of by those who are supposedly tougher and stronger?

While going into the New Year suggests setting goals, what is equally important is knowing what it takes to turn those goals into reality...

Many years ago, Robert Kiyosaki and I were in the teaching business together in Southern California. For various reasons, the owner of the company for whom we were training, closed the business. Robert and I were faced with choosing new paths for ourselves. Robert decided to continue pursuing the teaching business, and I had decided to go back into the airfreight trucking business.

On a semi-overcast morning, Robert and I were running on the beaches of La Jolla, and I voiced my concerns to him. I told him that the trucking industry was ruthless and full of challenges. I questioned whether I would be ‘tough’ enough to make it in the business.

I remember that he turned to me as we were huffing and puffing along the sand and said, “Blair, it’s not about being tough....it’s about being clear.”

Those words have stuck with me ever since and have been the source of great strength and great success. Those words allowed me to accomplish what I set out to do without compromising me.

In other words, you do not have to be a tough guy. You can, but it’s not required. What you do need to be is clear. Clear on your rules; clear on your objectives; clear on your decisions; and clear on whom you surround yourself with. You must have a Code of Honor that spells out the context of your business, your relationships and your life. Your Code of Honor ensures you remain “clear.”

In all of my businesses, I have had to make tough decisions, but I did not always have to be tough. Just clear that it either works or it doesn’t...it either supports the mission and team or it doesn’t...it either operates by the Code or it doesn’t.

When faced with choices, you have to have more than a ‘gut’ feeling in order to make them. Part of the problem is that most people cannot distinguish between their intuition and their emotional reaction. (Subject for next article!)

You have to have clear guidelines or a Code. Does that mean that every decision, choice or action is black and white? Of course not. But it gives you clarity of purpose, intention and direction.

It’s okay to be nice. It’s wonderful to be nurturing and supportive. But if you are not clear...if you are wishy-washy...then you will become part of someone else’s clarity...their direction and their whims.

In your life, be clear on where you are going, what the rules are and how you are going to play. There is a part of you that knows. There is a part of you, that as Jack Nicholson would say, is ‘crystal clear.’ It will lead you to wealth in all parts of your life.

So for 2006, don’t worry about being tough. Just be clear. You may make mistakes and that’s okay, but be clear that you made them and then correct.

Be Awesome!

Blair Singer
SalesDogs
http://salesdogs.com/

How To Set And Achieve Goals... by David Guest

2005-12-30T13:18:00.000-05:00

New year is always a great time to take stock of our results during the year. I make it a habit of writing down the wins and lessons for the previous year first.

Reflecting on our past and taking the lessons out of our experience is a powerful way to make sure we don’t repeatedly make the same mistakes. So before I write my goals for the new year, I make it a point of making the time to really look at what I have done over the previous year.

Remember to pat yourself on the back for the wins you’ve had. It is always too easy to say “I stuffed it up…”, But, as long as you get the lesson, you can only move forward.

Every challenge you have is also a learning experience. So learn from your failures. Thomas Edison, who conducted more than a thousand experiments on filaments before he produced a practical light bulb, was once asked, "How did you keep going after you had failed more than a thousand times?" Edison replied, "I did not fail a thousand times; I learned a thousand ways that didn't work." Like Edison, try to look at failure and rejection in a different light--as a learning experience.

From "Edison The Man And His Work" by George S. Bryan 1926.

"The electric light has caused me the greatest amount of study and has required the most elaborate experiments.... Although I was never myself discouraged or hopeless of its success, I can not say the same for my associates.... Through all of the years of experimenting with it, I never once made an associated discovery. It was deductive... The results I achieved were the consequence of invention - pure and simple. I would construct and work along various lines until I found them untenable. When one theory was discarded, I developed another at once. I realized very early that this was the only possible way for me to work out all the problems."

So…here’s the…

5 Simple Steps To Setting Goals...
1. First review your old goals and see if they are still valid. Cross off the ones that don’t apply any more and add any new ones. When looking at the results refer to the formula for change …

D(dissatisfaction) x V(vision) + F(first steps) > R(resistance)

For the goals you didn’t achieve, ask these questions…
· Was it something I truly wanted?
· Was it inspiring to me?
· Was it congruent with my other goals and my personal values?
· Were the consequences of NOT achieving that goal great enough?
· Did I know what steps to take and did I have the skills to execute them?
· In hindsight, is this goal something I still want to pursue?
· What do I need to do differently to achieve it?

2. So once you have looked at the year in perspective, now move to writing your goals for the next year. This will include some old goals, but with an updated perspective and some totally new goals.

3. Then make sure these new goals fit the S.M.A.R.T. criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Result Oriented, Time-framed). This is a sanity check to make sure the goal is not too big that my sub-conscious rejects it, and not too small that it is not inspiring.

4. Then, put each goal on a separate sheet of paper and start writing down all the steps needed to achieve that goal. Look at any obstacles that you feel will stop you from achieving your goals and write down a plan to overcome them. This is really a brainstorming list that will give you a step by step blueprint of how each goal will come into your reality.

My experience has shown that doing this process is the most important part, as it will create the first steps required to get me moving! I make sure these steps make it onto my calendar or even better I start working in them immediately. This momentum gives me energy and a sense of certainty that things are happening.

5. Make sure that your goals are placed somewhere conspicuous (like on the whiteboard in your office, or on a card in your wallet) so you can see them daily. This is an important step in keeping focussed.

Review them weekly and adjust your task list to make sure you are moving in the right direction. And celebrate any wins along the way to encourage good results.

This may sound like a long winded way of doing things, but I have found the opposite is true.

You see, our brains are a goal oriented mechanism like no other on earth. If you know how to program it, it can literally create miracles…

So, rather than learning to program your phone, computer or VCR, invest some time in programming the most magnificent computer in the world…Your Brain… and start getting the things in life you have always only dreamed of.

P.S. Here are some links to other great articles on setting goals…my process is only one of the ways to program your brain for success. There are literally thousands of ways. All you need to do is find one that will work for you!

http://www.relfe.com/goal_setting.html
www.mygoals.com
www.about-goal-setting.com

To discover more about Action Business Coaching and David Guest, go to http://www.actioncoaching/davidguest

Give the Gift Others Really Want!

2005-12-23T20:17:00.000-05:00

Give your Presence!

What your friends and family want is to feel you really are there for them.

When you talk to them. Be present.
When you listen to them. Be present.
When you respond to them. Be present.

(The here's the secret... many of your future clients are looking for the same thing.)

What will your living an extraordinary family life plan look like this week?
Until then...
Trust you will make it a happy holiday!

Tom Stoyan

Canada's Sales Coach
Dedicated to changing the way Canadian Professionals Sell & Coach
www.CoachingandSalesInstitute.com

Proud recipient of the 2005 Spirit of CAPS Award

TODAY IS THE TIME FOR ACTION

2005-12-22T13:09:00.000-05:00

You must be ready when opportunity comes before you.
Luck is the time when your preparation and opportunity meet.
There is a tide in your affairs, which, when taken at the flood,
will lead you on to fortune and success.

By the law of periodical repetition,
everything which has happened once must happen again
and again and again, not capriciously, but at regular periods,
and each thing in it's own period, and each obeying its own law.

As events tend to repeat themselves,
the tide of opportunity will come to you.
Be prepared and your chance for success is sure to come.
Look around you. Seize an opportunity to change your life.

You can change chance into good fortune if you are ready.
The only sure thing about your luck is that it will change.

©2005 by Max Steingart
Reproduce freely but maintain © notice

Going Home by Robert Paterson

2005-12-15T13:52:00.000-05:00

"We, in the West, have been asleep for a long time." We've become accustomed to living in a Matrix. What we once aspired to achieve and earn, is now taken for granted. A new culture is starting to challenge this Matrix. A culture that will revive our sense of community and lead us home. - Robert Paterson

ChangeThis is creating a new kind of media. A form of media that uses existing tools (like PDFs, blogs and the web) to challenge the way ideas are created and spread.
http://www.changethis.com/

Getting Along with Your Boss

2005-12-13T16:34:00.000-05:00

Your boss may be the second most important person in your career, second only to yourself. It is a special relationship, one that can be rewarding, or painful. Don't take this important part of your career for granted.

"My boss is a hothead...my boss is always out of the office or in meetings...my boss does not even know what I do."

Even if one of those describes your supervisor, you can still form a meaningful partnership.

"A partnership with my boss, you must be kidding!"

No joke. A partnership is a mutually beneficial relationship in which both parties respect each other. Isn't this the ideal supervisor-employee relationship? It is achievable. We'll give you some good ideas that may pave the way your partnership.

Before you read on, accept that your boss is human. Just like you, your boss has bad days, and makes mistakes too. You're boss brings value to the organization and to you. Even if their only value is determining your next pay increase and whether or not you are approved for a promotion.

A Little Research Helps

Know your boss' pet peeve? Now you know what to avoid.

What are his biggest issues? Here's your chance to solve them.

What info they need and when needed. Starting to see a pattern?

What makes your boss valuable to her boss? Help her shine.

What is the hot item at your company? Make sure you are in sync.

Pay Attention to Style

How does your boss like to be updated, or alerted? (e-mail, voicemail, drop by) Make sure you work around his preference.

Does your boss prefer a formal weekly meeting, or a spontaneous discussion? Whatever the case, follow the lead.

Does your boss require the whole story, brief highlights, or quick report and documentation ready if needed?

Building Trust and Confidence

Rather than take action without permission and apologize later, know your authority and stay within it.

Be aware that you are one piece of the puzzle. Don't take more than your fair share of your boss' time.

Don't dump problems at your boss' doorstep. Instead, present the issue and your plan for solution.

Keep your boss posted. Nobody likes to be blindsided.

Don't go over your boss' head, or steal glory from your boss. Respect communication channels set by your boss. In return you'll likely be rewarded.

When talking to or about your boss, avoid "us/them" statements, try using "we" instead.

Anticipate your boss' needs. Become your boss' best resource. If you had a good resource, wouldn't you keep that person happy?

Choose the right time for discussion, requests or questions.

Above all, be loyal and sincere.

Remember, you are both looking for the same things...
Trust,
Support,
Communication,
and Recognition.

Good luck in building your partnership. These suggestions will not guarantee your success, but they should improve your odds.

Copyright © 2000-05 TD Strategies LLC

The Difference between Vision and Goals

2005-12-08T16:42:00.000-05:00

Sometimes people confuse goals and visions. One way to distinguish between the two is to ask, “What’s next?” A goal, once reached, is finished. A vision, on the other hand, offers clear direction for future activity—what you should do next. A vision continues to act as a beacon, guiding you in setting new goals once current ones have been achieved.

A vision

Helps you understand what business you're really in
Provides guidelines that help you make daily decisions
Provides a picture of the desired future that you can actually see
Is enduring
Is about being "great"—not just about beating the competition
Is inspiring—not expressed solely in numbers
Touches the hearts and spirits of everyone
Helps each person see how he or she can contribute

A vision is a picture of the end result; Goals are the intermediate milestones you pass on your way toward your vision. They are the signposts that let you know you are moving in the right direction.

Getting Started

Without a shared vision, how can you be sure that the individual goals and objectives being set for the coming year are building toward larger overall success? Setting a compelling vision is the first step in moving together toward greater achievement on an individual, team, or organizational level.

December is a great time for setting a vision that will provide the foundation for powerful goals at all levels. As you look at goal setting and objectives for the coming year, don’t forget to look at the role that strategic vision plays in supercharging this planning.

The Ken Blanchard Companies® is a global leader in providing sustainable, commonsense leadership, team, and organizational training and development solutions. For over 25 years, we have helped companies improve their performance, productivity, and bottom-line results.
http://www.kenblanchard.com/

NLP info for everyone!

2005-12-07T11:36:00.000-05:00

Neuro-linguistic programming is a streamlined, practical and intensely effective set of practices for learning, communication and change. Training in NLP allows individuals more access to their best performance states and stronger abilities to connect with others. It makes individuals more whole and more wholly integrated into their families, workplaces, and communities.

Linda Ferguson has an interesting blog at http://www.nlpcanadatraining.blogspot.com/

* see more about NLP at http://www.nlpcanada.com/

* or at http://www.nlpworks.com/you.htm

How do you deal with change?

2005-12-02T10:05:00.000-05:00

Do the important people in your life - such as your children, spouse, employees, or employer - see you as someone always after New Cheese or as someone who is attached to Old Cheese?

If you or your organization are going through ANY type of Change – whether it be new leadership, a merger, having to do more with less…this movie is for you! It is impacting and can help employees in your organization understand how to let go of their fears and prosper through change.

see more at http://www.whomovedmycheese.com/products/Video.html

YOU HAVE UNLIMITED CHOICES

2005-12-01T14:15:00.000-05:00

You don't have to buy from anyone.
You don't have to work at any particular job.
You don't have to participate in any given relationship.
You can choose.

You steer the course you choose in the direction
of where you want to be today, tomorrow,
or in a distant time to come.
You hold the tiller.

You can decide to alter the course of your life at any time.
No one can ever take that away from you.
You can decide what you want and go after it.
It's always your next move.

©2005 by Max Steingart
Reproduce freely but maintain © notice

2005-11-25T11:50:00.000-05:00

Work/home life balance

You are looking for personal fulfilment.

Your organisation is looking for business results

Are you looking for an appropriate balance between the two?

You can't change who you are
But you can change the role you play

It's a common mistake to think that team success is achieved by individuals playing to their strengths. Whilst this can sometimes be true, often it is not.

This can be illustrated by thinking about which hand you use to change gear when driving a car, in Europe, or in the UK. Do you use your preferred hand, or do you use the hand dictated by the layout of the car?

Like most people, you have a preference that is consistent throughout life. But daily living requires the effective use of both hands. In a similar way, you have behavioural preferences, as indicated by your personality type. But you need to undertake many roles to meet the daily demands of life and work. Finding out your preferences can help you find out who you are. But to achieve success in team work and personal fulfilment, you should focus on what you can change - the roles you play:

Keys to successful team work
Adaptation – the ability for a team to use the team role that is most appropriate for the task in hand or the situation
Synchronisation – the ability for a team to coordinate their use of team roles in order to collaborate effectively

Keys to personal fulfilment
Flexibility – the ability to be able to use any of the team roles, when it would be most effective to do so.
Balance – having an appropriate degree of stretch between your preferences and your role to provide both development and fulfilment (ie not too much stretch, which can cause stress, nor too little, which can cause stagnation and/or boredom)

See more at http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/keys-to-success.html

... Listen Leadership by J.R. Perry

2005-11-21T15:44:00.000-05:00

The problem in business leadership today is NOT the ability to create a Vision. The problem in today's leaders is the lack of ability to listen. The listening I speak of is multi-faceted. There is listening to employees, listening to suppliers, listening to advisors, listening to the competition, listening to the marketplace and most importantly, listening to the customer.

The constant in business as we all know is change. So when change takes place on proportion that can no longer be ignored and forces us to pay attention, it is really just that our listening has been turned off until that point in time. So now that business people are forced to listen they have usually been so far out of the loop that they do not understand what others are saying. So what is the solution? We know change cannot be deterred so the solution must be in the response we give to the circumstance of change.

Jay Perry owns the Automotive Business Consultants Inc. ABC is a Performance Coaching company specializing in the Collision Repair Industry. He can be reached at www.a-b-c-inc.com

Tribute to a legend - by CoveyLink

2005-11-16T14:19:00.000-05:00

One of the world’s great business minds graduated last week. With honors! It is with great respect and even awe that we acknowledge the passing of revered business authority Peter F. Drucker last Friday, November 12th, a few days shy of his 96th birthday.

With 39 books written over 75 years, Chairman Peter (as he was affectionately called) was, in our estimation, the most influential business thinker and writer of the 20th Century. He has influenced our thinking as well of the thinking of the most respected business authorities of our day including Jack Welch, Jim Collins, Stephen R. Covey, Ken Blanchard, Warren Bennis and countless others we are not personally aware of.

Early last year, in an interview with Forbes magazine, Mr. Drucker was asked if there was anything in his long career that he wished he had done but had not been able to do.

"Yes, quite a few things," he said. "There are many books I could have written that are better than the ones I actually wrote. My best book would have been "Managing Ignorance," and I'm very sorry I didn't write it." We wish he’d gotten to that one too.

Mr. Drucker consulted business leaders and non-profit leaders well into his 90’s leaving the legacy of staying productive and contributing throughout one’s life. He strongly believed and taught that people were assets, not costs and thus shifted the thinking of several generations of business leaders. He extended pro-bono to non-profits, again modeling high ground behavior for other business leaders. He encouraged business leaders to give back to the community by developing a parallel career in non-profit organizations.

Chairman Peter’s words continue to echo through the halls:

"Because its purpose is to create a customer, the business has two - and only two - functions: Marketing and Innovation. Marketing and Innovation produce results. All the rest are costs."

“The number one difference between a Nobel prize winner and others is not IQ or work ethic, but that they ask bigger questions”

"The best way to predict the future is to create it."

" One either meets or one works."

"The only things that evolve by themselves in an organization are disorder, friction and malperformance."

"Stock option plans reward the executive for doing the wrong thing. Instead of asking, 'Are we making the right decision?' he asks, 'How did we close today?' It is encouragement to loot the corporation."

Jack Welch attributed a simple question by Drucker for one of Welch’s most profound insights. In Jack’s words, "Drucker said: 'If you weren't already in this business, would you enter it today? And if not, what are you going to do about it? ‘Simple, right? But incredibly powerful’."

Drucker's simple question ultimately led to Welch's operating maxim that if a GE unit could not be No. 1 or No. 2 in its field, it should be sold.

"Peter could look around corners," philanthropist Eli Broad, who knew Drucker for 30 years, told the LA Times, Friday. "He would say things that seemed rather simple but in fact were very profound. He saw the future."

In the foreword to one of Drucker’s last books Jim Collins wrote: “Drucker liked to tell the story of a Greek sculptor from 500 BC who was commissioned by the city of Athens to construct a set of statues to ring the top of a building. The sculptor toiled for months longer than expected, making the backs of the statues as beautiful as the fronts. The city commissioners, angered by this extra work, asked: ‘Why did you make the backs of the statues as beautiful as the front? No one will ever see the backs!’ ‘Ah but the Gods can see them,’ replied the sculptor.”

In essence this brief story lends insight into how Peter chose to live his life. He left this world a better place than he found it and took with him the only thing that accompanies us out of this life, his indomitable spirit and a significantly informed intelligence and experience.
We are confident Peter Drucker will continue his influence beyond this world. It’s certain his influence will continue to touch ours. Bravo Peter. Way to finish strong!

"Aude aliquid dignum" (16th century Latin: "Dare something worthy")

Keep making waves,
CoveyLink

Cherry Bombs: A Supplemental Kit to "Radical Careering" by Sally Hogshead

2005-10-28T15:15:00.000-04:00

Sally's manifesto is a great thought provoking resource full of cherry bombs ready to use in your careering life! What is Careering? Find out first what is not! at http://www.radicalcareering.com/careering.php

Stuck in a career rut? No way out? Lob a cherry bomb! "Cherry bombs are quick but explosive ideas that startle a situation out of paralysis. Bursts of thinking to create change within you, or around you." Sally Hogshead

She says her new book, Radical Careering: 100 Truths to Jumpstart Your Job, Your Career, and Your Life, was written for "people who want to make big things happen in their lives, in their own way." Read the full interview to learn more about Sally's book and perhaps find some inspiration for a Radical Career of your own.

Ready to find out your C.Q.? http://www.age-of-intensity.com/

One degree more = Exponential results

2005-10-26T16:28:00.000-04:00

At 211 degrees, water is hot.
At 212 degrees, it boils.

And with boiling water, comes steam.
And with steam, you can power a train.

One degree more = Exponential results

Stand out this year and start something wonderful in the lives of your customers, prospects, and team... something that lasts well beyond the holidays.

sales quotes™ and prospects™ are brought to you by the people at justsell.comthe web's resource for sales & marketing leaders™www.justsell.com

It's a war for talent out there....

2005-10-26T15:14:00.000-04:00

The Best Practices of the Most Aggressive Recruiting Department

A case study of FirstMerit Bank and its world-class recruiting practices - by Dr. John Sullivan

How to Profit From Networking by Kelley Robertson

2005-10-13T14:24:00.000-04:00

Sales are frequently developed through the relationships we have created with other
people. Networking functions provide the opportunity to expand our contact list,
particularly when we create and nurture quality relationships. It is not enough to visit a
networking group, talk to dozens of people and gather as many business cards
possible. However, every networking function has tremendous potential for new
business leads. Here are five strategies to make networking profitable:

1. Choose the right networking group or event. The best results come from attending
the appropriate networking events for your particular industry. This should include trade
shows, conferences, and associations dedicated to your type of business. For example,
if your target market is a Fortune 500 company, it does not make sense to join a group
whose primary membership consists of individual business owners. You can also
participate in groups where your potential clients meet. A friend of mine helps people
negotiate leases with their landlords. He joined the local franchise association because
most franchisors lease their properties.

2. Focus on quality contacts versus quantity. Most people have experienced the person
who, while talking to you, keeps his eyes roving around the room, seeking his next
victim. This individual is more interested in passing out and collecting business cards
than establishing a relationship. My approach is to make between two and five new
contacts at each networking meeting I attend. Focus on the quality of the connection
and people will become much more trusting of you.

3. Make a positive first impression. You have EXACTLY one opportunity to make a
great first impression. Factors that influence this initial impact are your handshake,
facial expressions, eye contact, interest in the other person and your overall
attentiveness. Develop a great handshake, approach people with a natural, genuine
smile and make good eye contact. Notice the colour of the other person’s eyes as you
introduce yourself. Listen carefully to their name. If you don’t hear them or understand
exactly what they say, ask them to repeat it. Many people do not speak clearly or loudly
enough and others are very nervous at networking events. Make a powerful impression
by asking them what they do before talking about yourself or your business. As Stephen
Covey states, “Seek first to understand and then to be understood.” Comment on their
business, ask them to elaborate, or have them explain something in more detail. As
they continue, make sure you listen intently to what they tell you. Once you have
demonstrated interest in someone else, they will – in most cases – become more
interested in you. When that occurs, follow the step outline in the next point.

4. Be able to clearly state what you do. Develop a ten second introduction as well as a
thirty second presentation. The introduction explains what you do and for whom. For
example; “I work with boutique retailers to help them increase their sales and profits.”
This introduction should encourage the other person to ask for more information. When
they do, you recite your thirty second presentation. “Bob Smith of High Profile Clothing
wanted a program that would help his sales managers increase their sales. After
working with them for six months we achieved a 21.5 percent increase in sales. Plus,
sales of their premium line of ties have doubled in this time frame.” As you can see, this
gives an example of your work and the typical results you have help your clients
achieve. Each of these introductions needs to be well-rehearsed so you can recite them
at any time and under any circumstance. You must be genuine, authentic, and as I
recently heard a speaker say, “bone-dry honest.”

5. Follow up after the event. In my experience, most people drop the ball here. Yet the
follow-up is the most important aspect of networking. There are two specific strategies
to follow:

First, immediately after the event – typically the next day – you should send a
handwritten card to the people you met. Mention something from your conversation and
express your interest to keep in contact. Always include a business card in your
correspondence.

Next, within two weeks, contact that person and arrange to meet for coffee or lunch.
This will give you the opportunity to learn more about their business, the challenges
they face, and how you could potentially help them. This is NOT a sales call – it is a
relationship building meeting.

Networking does product results. The more people know about you and your business,
and the more they trust you, the greater the likelihood they will either work with you or
refer someone else to you.

Copyright 2003 Kelley Robertson, all rights reserved.
Kelley Robertson, President of the Robertson Training Group, works with businesses to help them increase their sales and motivate their employees. He is also the author of “Stop, Ask & Listen – Proven sales techniques to turn browsers into buyers.” Visit his website at www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com and receive a FREE copy of “100 Ways to Increase Your Sales” by subscribing to his 59-Second Tip, a free weekly e-zine.

Carnegie Success Connection Tip of the Week

2005-10-12T09:22:00.000-04:00

The key to being a successful presenter is to always keep your audience in mind. Here are a few tips on building a rapport with your audience while presenting:

Consider yourself honored by being asked to address an audience - and say so!
Give your listeners sincere appreciation
Mention the names of some listeners
Talk in terms of your listeners' interests
Appeal to the nobler emotions of your audience

Source:
High Impact Presentations2-day seminar

7 Ways to Improve Your Attitude at Work

2005-10-11T18:23:00.000-04:00

"I love the part of my job where I get to talk to customers and help them solve their problems, but I just can’t stand all the paperwork. It’s getting to the point where I’m thinking of looking for another job." Heather went on to explain that she likes her company, and enjoys the people she works with, and doesn’t want to feel like she’s being driven from a good job by the paperwork. "The paperwork is just so de-motivating!" she explained.

Have you ever felt like Heather? Are there tasks that you truly enjoy and find motivating, and others that really turn you off? Is finding a new job the only answer? Probably not, because almost every job contains elements that motivate you and others that de-motivate you. The secret is knowing how tackle the tasks you’d rather avoid.

Here are seven strategies you can try:

1.- You CAN do it.
Low motivation doesn’t mean you CAN’T do something, it just means you prefer not to.

2.- Have realistic expectations of yourself.
Having low motivation means you may not enjoy the task, and it will take you longer and use more energy than someone with high motivation. Don’t compare your productivity to someone who thrives on the very task you detest.

3.- Determine if "Adequate" is good enough.
Is it imperative that you be excellent in this particular area? If you have low motivation, you can probably be adequate with enough training and practice, but being "Excellent" may be beyond reach.

4.- Reassign the work.
Can this task be given to someone else? Perhaps there is someone with high motivation who would enjoy this work.

5.- Partner with someone who is strong in this area.
This the Rogers and Hammerstein approach. An example would be the successful sales person who relies on her assistant to do all the paperwork.

6.- Create a system or use a tool.
I know of a professional with high talent for creativity, but low talent for details and capturing all his good ideas. He finally decided to carry a pocket tape recorder in a leather case on his belt. This allows him to make verbal notes to himself on the fly.

7.- Ask for reassignment.
One of our clients who had always been a successful project manager was floundering in his new role. The reason was that he had very high motivation for routine, methodical procedures. He needed lots of structure and order n his environment. Unfortunately, he was assigned to develop new products in a start-up company, and there were no rules, no structure. His best option was to accept reassignment to a role that allowed him to create processes and procedures for the new venture.

Very, very few people are motivated by all the tasks in their job description. That’s simply because no one, including you, is motivated to do everything. We all have areas of low motivation. The most successful people are the ones who acknowledge these areas, and apply the strategies listed above.

Sincerely,

Henry
www.Assessment.com

Two Key Questions For Maximum Effectiveness - By: Brian Tracy

2005-10-03T16:37:00.000-04:00

There are two questions that you can ask on a regular basis to keep yourself focused on getting your most important tasks completed on schedule.
The first question is "What are my highest value activities?" Put another way, what are the most important tasks you have to complete to make the greatest contribution to your organization? To your family? To your life in general?

Think It Through Carefully
This is one of the most important questions you can ask and answer. What are your highest value activities? First, think this through for yourself. Then, ask your boss. Ask your coworkers and subordinates. Ask your friends and family. Like focusing the lens of a camera, you must be crystal clear about your highest value activities before you begin work.

Keep Yourself Focused
The second question you can ask continually is, "What can I and only I do, that if done well, will make a real difference?"

This question comes from Peter Drucker, the management guru. It is one of the best of all questions for achieving personal effectiveness. What can you, and only you do, that if done well, can make a real difference?

This is something that only you can do. If you don't do it, it won't be done by someone else. But if you do it, and you do it well, it can really make a difference to your life and your career. What is your answer to this question?

Every hour of every day, you can ask yourself this question and there will be a specific answer. You job is to be clear about the answer and then to start and work on this task before anything else.

Action Exercises
First, make a list of everything you do at work and then select your most valuable tasks from that list.
Second, resolve to start in on your highest value task and stay at it until it is 100% complete.

CLICK HERE to view Brian's Recommendations.

BEING SUCCESSFUL IS A CHOICE YOU MAKE

2005-09-19T12:59:00.000-04:00

Your success isn't a matter of luck,
it's simply a matter of the choices you make.
Success isn't something you can wait for,
it's something you'll achieve with effort over time.
Things won't turn up in this world until you turn them up.

You can choose to be lazy or ambitious.
Stop and think about your choice again.
You always do your own choosing.

The great opportunity in your life is where you are right now.
Every situation, properly perceived, is an opportunity for you.

First, say to yourself what you would be,
then do what you have to do to make things happen.

Success is right in front of you.

©2005 by Max Steingart
Reproduce freely but maintain © notice

The Personal MBA: Mastering Business Without Spending a Fortune by Josh Kaufman

2005-09-09T16:55:00.000-04:00

Interested in learning advanced business concepts, but don't have the time or money for a traditional MBA program?
Business schools don't have a monopoly on worldly wisdom - if you care more about increasing your effectiveness at work than a diploma and a few lines on your resume, the "Personal MBA" is for you.

Download the manifest at http://www.changethis.com/17.PersonalMBA

ChangeThis focuses on the rational and thoughtful arguments that help people change their minds to a more productive point of view.

Discovering Your Talents - by Brian Tracy

2005-09-07T16:44:00.000-04:00

Benjamin Franklin wrote, “Do you value life? Then waste not time, for that is the stuff of which life is made.” The value of anything that you obtain or accomplish can be determined by how much of your time, or your life, that you spent to acquire it. The amount of yourself that you use up in achieving the goals that are important to you is a critical factor to consider, even before you begin. Only by discovering your innate strengths and developing and exploiting them to their highest degree can you utilize yourself to get the greatest amount of satisfaction and enjoyment from everything you do. Deciding what you want to do, what you can do well, and what can give you the highest rewards for your efforts is the starting point in getting the best out of yourself.

When we do strategic planning for corporations, we begin with the premise that the whole purpose of the exercise is to reorganize and reallocate people and resources to increase the rate of return on equity, or capital invested in the business. Invariably, this is done by emphasizing some areas and de-emphasizing others, by allocating more resources to areas with higher potential return and by taking resources away from those areas that represent lower potential returns. By developing or promoting newer and better products and services and by discontinuing those products and services that are less profitable, the company and all the people in it can channel their resources to maximize their returns.

In doing personal strategic planning, the first thing you want to think about is increasing your personal “return on energy,” rather than return on equity. You need to realize that the most essential and valuable thing that you have to bring to your life and to your work is your ability to think, to act and to get results. Your earning ability-which is a function of your education, knowledge, experience and talents-is your human capital, or your equity. And the way you use it will largely determine the quality and quantity of your rewards, both material and psychological, both tangible and intangible.

For example, a young man in one of my seminars came up to me and told me that he was working as a plumber for a large plumbing-contracting firm. He made good wages, but he was very envious of the salespeople in his company who made more money, drove nicer cars, wore nicer clothes and had much better life-styles. He had completed all his training and had his journeyman’s certificate, and he was at the top of his wage scale. The only way he could earn more money was by working longer hours. He realized, however, that that was not the answer. Instead, he wanted to get into sales, where his income could be higher and would not be fixed on an hourly basis.
I remember advising him that if he wanted to get into sales, it was up to him to learn how to sell and then to do everything possible to get his management to give him a chance at selling plumbing services. His future was up to him, but he first had to learn how to do the new and higher-paying job.
A little more than a year later, he attended another seminar that I was giving in that same city, and he told me his story. He had told his management that he wanted to get into sales. The managers had discouraged him, telling him that plumbers had very little aptitude for the hard, interpersonal work involved in selling a complex service. He then asked them what he would have to do to prove to them that he could sell well. To make a long story short, they helped him to learn how to sell their company’s services by having him study manuals and take extra courses on his own time. He bought books and listened to tapes and began spending time talking to the salespeople in the organization.
Now a year had passed. He had been a full-fledged salesman for about five months. He was already earning more than twice as much as the most he had ever earned as a plumber. But most of all, he was happier. He was more excited and more enthusiastic about himself and his work than he had ever been. He loved the field of selling, and he considered his career change to be one of the best decisions he had ever made.

This story is typical of countless stories that have been related to me over the years. In each case, the individual had discovered and developed his or her strengths and, subsequently, improved the quality of his or her life. And you can do the same. In fact, this may be one of the most important things you ever do.

This first part of personal strategic planning is called “values clarification.”
You ask yourself, “What values and virtues do I most admire and wish to practice in my life?”
If you wanted to discover your strengths in the work world, first you would define your values as they apply to employment. The values that companies settle upon would be similar to the values that you organize your work life around. Often, both companies and individuals will choose values such as integrity, quality, respect for others, service, profitability, innovation, entrepreneurship, market leadership, and so on. For example, General Electric, as one of its values, is determined to be either first or second in quality and market share with any product that it offers. If it cannot achieve a first- or second-place position, it will make every effort to grow into it, or it will leave the market entirely.

In a similar vein, you could use those values to define your position with regard to your work. You could decide to plan your work life around the values of quality, excellence, service, profitability, and innovation. There are dozens of values that you can pick from, but whichever you choose, and the order of priority you place on your choices, will determine your approach to your work.

Your next step is to create your personal mission statement. This is a clear, written description of the person you intend to be in your work life. I have often found that this is even more important than setting specific financial or business or sales goals. Once you have decided how much you want to earn, you need to write out a mission statement that describes the kind of person you intend to become in order to earn that amount of money.

For example, you might say, “I’m an outstanding salesperson, well-organized, hardworking, thoroughly prepared, positive, enthusiastic, and intensely focused on serving my customers better than anyone else can.” With this as your mission statement, you have a series of organizing principles that you can use to guide your career choices, your personal- and professional-development activities, and your work schedule for each day. This mission statement also tells you the kind of person that you’re going to be in your interactions with the people whose satisfaction will determine your career success.
A clear mission statement also is a definition of the areas in which you intend to become stronger in order to achieve your goals.

Remember: Your goal is to identify your strengths so that you can deploy yourself in such a way as to increase your personal return on energy. One of the best mental techniques that you can use to accomplish this is to see yourself as a “bundle of resources” that can be applied in a variety of directions to achieve a variety of objectives. As a bundle of resources, the amount of time and energy that you have is limited; therefore, your time and energy must be put to their highest and best use. Stand back and imagine that you’re looking at yourself objectively, as if through the eyes of another person, and you’re thinking about how you could apply yourself to bring about the best results. See yourself as your own employer or boss.
What could you do to maximize the output of which you’re capable, and where could you do it?

Once you have defined your values and written out your mission statement, the next step is to do what is called a “situational analysis.” Sometimes we call it a “performance audit.” This is the process of analyzing yourself thoroughly before you begin setting specific goals and planning certain activities. You begin your performance audit by asking yourself some key questions.

One of those questions should be,
“What are my marketable skills?” Think about it.
What can you do for which someone else will pay you?
What can you do particularly well?
What can you do better than others?
What have you done particularly well in the past?
A wage or a salary is merely an amount of money that is paid to purchase a certain quality and quantity of labor or output. The results that you’re able to get by applying your strengths and your energies largely determine your rewards in life. If you wish to increase the quality and quantity of your rewards, you have to increase your ability to achieve more and better results. It’s very simple.

Earl Nightingale said that the amount you’re paid will be determined by three things: (1) the work you do, (2) how well you do that work, and (3) the difficulty of replacing you.

The laws of supply and demand also affect the labor market, of which you are a part. Employers or customers will always seek the very most for the very least. That means that you’ll always be paid the very least that is necessary to prevent you from moving to another organization.
Abraham Lincoln said that the only security a person can have is the ability to do a job uncommonly well.

The height of your income will be determined largely by how well you do your job and the difficulty of replacing you. In areas where workers can be replaced easily, the workers are paid only the minimum amount necessary to keep them. In increasing your return on energy, one of your objectives is to become so good in your chosen field that the cost of replacing you is extremely high. This is the way to assure that you will always be paid well because no one can get the kind of results that you can get for the amount that you charge, or the amount that you’re paid (which are the same).

In reality, you’re the president of your own personal-services corporation. You’re completely in charge of production, quality control, training and development, marketing, finance, and promotion.
Thinking of yourself passively, as being employed and, therefore, subject to the dictates of someone else, can be fatal to your long-term success. On the other hand, seeing yourself as self-employed forces you to see that you also are self-responsible and self-determining, that everything that happens to you happens because of your conduct and your behavior. You’re in the driver’s seat. You’re behind the steering wheel of your life. It’s up to you to decide how to utilize your talents and abilities in such a way as to bring you the very highest return on investment of your time and energy. No one else is going to do it for you. You’re the boss. Others can help you, guide you, direct you, channel you, point you in the right direction and even give you opportunities, but in the final analysis, no one can make the critical decisions that will determine your future and your fortune.

Here are four questions that you need to ask yourself on a regular basis:
(1) “What do I most enjoy doing?”
(2) “How would I describe my ideal job?”
(3) “If I could have any job at all, anywhere, what would it be?”
(4) “If I won a million dollars in the lottery and I had to pick a job to work at indefinitely, what would I choose to do with my time?”

In uncovering your strengths, ask yourself,
“What are my unique talents and abilities?”
What have you been good at in the past?
What things do you do easily that seem to be difficult for other people?
In what areas of work do you seem to get the best results, and do you derive the most pleasure from?
The answers to those questions all are indications of how you might deploy yourself to increase your return on energy invested.

As a result of your genetic structure, your education, your experiences, your background, your interests and proclivities, you’re a unique and rare combination of talents and abilities. You can be extremely good at something. You’re responsible for finding out what that something is and then throwing your whole heart into it, without reservation or holdback. Only when you discover what you really enjoy doing and then commit yourself to it wholeheartedly do you begin to feel really alive and fully engaged in life.

Look at your current job and current abilities, and ask yourself,
“Where do I want to be in three to five years?”
What kind of work do you want to be doing?
What kind of people do you want to be working with?
What level of responsibility do you desire?
What kind of money do you want to be earning? What part of the country do you want to be living in?

Let your imagination flow freely for a while. Imagine that there are no limitations on what you can do or be, or where you can do it or be it. Imagine that all options are open to you.

Look at your work and at your life in general today, and ask yourself,
“What kind of people do I admire and most want to be like?”
Who do you know, or know about, who is doing the kind of work that you want to do and living the kind of life that you want to live?
What changes would you have to make in your life to be like that person?

Remember: Whatever anyone has done, someone else can do as well. You’ll never be exactly the same as another person, but you don’t need to be. You can use the successes and achievements of other people as examples and guidelines to help you decide where you want to arrive at the end of your particular journey, but you can be unique and different and successful in your own way.

Harold Geneen, the former CEO of ITT and one of the most powerful business executives in American history, always used to say, “Start with the goal and work back.”
So decide where you want to end up somewhere down the road, and then plan back to the present day to determine what you’re going to have to do to get there. If you can make an honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses, your threats and vulnerabilities, your areas of potential opportunity and the areas that might be holding you back, you’re in a perfect position to begin looking forward to the future, to decide where you want to go and what you want to achieve.

Finally, in personal strategic planning, the aim is always to achieve leadership in your chosen market niche. Business leaders have the authority to determine the area of excellence in their business. Analogously, on a personal level, you can choose the thing at which you’re going to become absolutely excellent and achieve extraordinary results. So in what areas are you going to work to achieve results that are far beyond what the average person could be expected to accomplish?

What can you-and only you-do that, if done well, will make an extraordinary difference in your life?
What can you do now, or can you learn to do in the future, that will give you the biggest payoff for the amount of time that you invest in it?

Remember: You were put on this earth with a special combination of talents and abilities that make you different from anyone who has ever lived. Whatever you’re doing today, it’s nowhere near what you’re really capable of doing. The key to a happy and prosperous life is for you to regularly evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, to become very good in the areas you most enjoy, and then to throw your whole heart into what you’re doing.

Brian Tracy is the most listened to audio author on personal and business success in the world today. His fast-moving talks and seminars on leadership, sales, managerial effectiveness and business strategy are loaded with powerful, proven ideas and strategies that people can immediately apply to get better results in every area. http://www.briantracy.com/

Networking is about contact-- contact with people.

2005-09-06T14:33:00.000-04:00

A primary business activity for those who drive revenue (and even those that don’t*), networking is a skill set well worth developing. In fact, it’s a necessity. And, like all parts of the sales process, it can be distilled to a few very authentic fundamentals.

In the upcoming year, you’re sure to be in a networking environment (formal or informal). It may be a tradeshow, an association or civic meeting. Or, you may find yourself at the national sales meeting with an opportunity to meet the "home office" people who make sure your customers are served well. If you have nothing on the radar at the moment, see what networking opportunities you can create. There’s immediate and long-term value to you and those with whom you connect. It’s assured.

This is your guide to the fundamentals of successful networking… just sell style. Work it… practice it… improve it… and work the room. Finesse points are developed with experience… by doing. Nail these fundamentals and you’ll make every networking experience you’ll ever have a pleasure for you… and for everyone with whom you connect… professionally and personally. It’s your time… it’s your event… it’s your room… just sell®…

it’s all about sales™

networking checklist
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Help your customers and resellers sell more. Forward this just sell® newsletter to them. They can subscribe by visiting this link...http://www.justsell.com/subscribe_nl.htm

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