Don’t you love this time of year for thinking ahead and planning? You’ve got a year’s worth of vast, uncharted territory ahead of you. What will you do with it? Where do you want to be by the end of 2015? Goal setting (Physical,Financial,Career,Relationships,Investment,Business,Skills..) is so important to me that I cannot resist year-end […]
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Tag: business skills
Goals, strategy and tactics for change…
The Goal: Who are you trying to change? What observable actions will let you know you’ve succeeded? The Strategy: What are the emotions you can amplify, the connections you can make that will cause someone to do something they’ve hesitated to do in the past (change)? The strategy isn’t the point, it’s the lever that […]
Digital is slippery…
When you build a building, it stays around for a long time. When you invest and staff a factory, it’s something significant, and it lasts. When Coke gets shelf space at the supermarket, the status quo is powerful and that shelf space might last a generation or two. Today, the smart money is investing in […]
Here it is ; Three-step marketing ladder...
Probably worth reviewing at your next marketing meeting (or every marketing meeting)… There’s a three-step ladder: Awareness Education Action Awareness is when someone knows you exist. The knock-knock part of the knock-knock joke, the person who has another interest and trust to want to know more. Awareness is sexy You don’t need to be known […]
Wishing vs. doing…
Wishing vs. doing By giving people more ways to speak up and more tools to take action, we keep decreasing the gap between what we wish for and what we can do about it. If you’re not willing to do anything about it, best not to waste the energy wishing about it.
Forgive yourself…
Forgive yourself for not being the richest, the thinnest, the tallest, the one with the best hair. Forgive yourself for not being the most successful, the cutest or the one with the fastest time. Forgive yourself for not winning every round. Forgive yourself for being afraid. But don’t let yourself off the hook, never […]
Do you have any good ideas..??
“I don’t have any good ideas” That’s a common mantra among those that say that they want to leap, but haven’t, and aren’t, and won’t. What they’re actually saying is, “I don’t have any ideas that are guaranteed to work, and not only that, are guaranteed to cause no criticism or moments when I’m sure […]
The number one reason to focus…
You will care more about the things that aren’t working yet, you’ll push through the dip, you’ll expend effort and expose yourself to fear. When you have a lot of balls in the air, it’s easy to just ignore the ones that make you uncomfortable or that might fall. Success comes from doing the hard […]
Where is your Emotional handwashing…?
Emotions are far more contagious than any disease. A smile or a panic will spread through a group of people far faster than any virus ever could. When you walk into the office or a negotiation, then, wash your bad mood away before you see us. Don’t cough on us, don’t sneeze on us, sure, […]
Have you Set a date..??
If you haven’t announced a date, you’re not serious. Pick a date. It can be far in the future. Too far, and we’ll all know that you’re merely stalling. A real date, a date we can live with and a date you can deliver on. If your project can’t pass this incredibly simple test, […]
Here is how to Get rich (quick)….
Here is how to Get rich (really quick) Enrich your world by creating value for others. Enrich your health by walking twenty minutes a day. Enrich your community by contributing to someone, without keeping score. Enrich your relationships by saying what needs to be said. Enrich your standing by trusting someone else. Enrich your […]
“How do I get rid of the fear….?”
Alas, this is the wrong question. The only way to get rid of the fear is to stop doing things that might not work, to stop putting yourself out there, to stop doing work that matters. No, the right question is, “How do I dance with the fear?” Fear is not the enemy. Paralysis is […]
Imagine, No more kids…??
What if, in some sort of sci-fi solar flare cataclysm, it was impossible for humans to have more kids? No more babies. How would we treat the last generation? Would we say to the youngest student on Earth, “sorry the school is really run-down and crowded and poorly staffed, but we don’t want to […]
Your rotten fish problem…
The rotten fish problem On the first day, all the fish at the fish stall are fresh. Some sell, some don’t. The second day, the sold fish are replaced by newer, fresher fish. The unsold fish remains, even though it isn’t so attractive. By the third day, of course, the unsold fish is noticably […]
Here It Is..Picture yourself…
Ladies and gentlemen . . . the Beatles!” 50 years ago this month, 4 Liverpudlians rocked the American nation. Their shocking performance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” was seen by one in three Americans. And that novel picture transformed countless lives. It inspired young Robert Cray to buy his first guitar. It showed Billy Joel […]
Is money currently a story..?
Money’s pretty new. Before that, we traded. My corn for your milk. The trade enriches both of us, and it’s simple. Money, of course, makes a whole bunch of other transactions possible. Maybe I don’t need your milk, but I can take your money and use it to buy something I do need, from someone […]
Transcend the box…
Take a look at your office. It’s a box. Your computer? Another box. You leave work and climb into a motorized box. Then you drive home to another, more expensive box. Once settled in, you grab something to eat from a refrigerated box. And eventually you plop down in front of a mesmerizing box. Do […]
How to peel a banana…
There’s a better way to peel a banana. The process is frustration-free and prevents bruising. It even takes those stringy things off of the fruit. Try it. Instead of bending and twisting and eventually tearing the stem with your teeth. Hold the banana stem facing down. Now gently pinch the very top of the […]
Learn to Experiment…
Don’t be too timid and squeamish about your actions.All life is an experiment.The more experiments you make,the better- Ralph Waldo Emerson One of the most common complaints of today’s executives is this;The people they supervise hate to make changes though they are constantly being required to in this highly competitive business environment.The executives then […]
Explore Experience Audit…
When was the last time you went to a supermarket and watched customers look at your product?when was the last time you were a mystery shopper for your own products or service? If managers would call their own customer services lines and have to wait forever,trapped in “voice mail jail” those truly committed to […]
Do You Know How Mentorship Works…?
Mentorship works for two reasons. Certainly, the person being mentored gains from advice and counsel and even access to others via introductions, etc. But mostly, it works because the person with a mentor has a responsibility to stand up and actually get moving. The only way to repay your mentor is by showing the […]
Produce Something…
Words carry energy. Each word you say out loud or internally to yourself catalyzes a different response in your brain and therefore throughout your whole body.I always enjoy what happens when I increase the use of the word “Produce” If I want to move closer toward achieving my life’s goals today,I might start my morning […]
Enjoy Some Stage Fright…
If you get stage fright before a big call,or before a big presentation,what does it mean? Does it mean you are a weak person?Does it mean you are unprepared? Does it mean you are immature? No,it means none of those things. It means you are in a truly great profession.I mean who else gets stage […]
Where Else Would You Look…?
Comedian Jeff Fox was joking about phrases we all utter without thinking.I laughed out loud when he mentioned that people hunting for a lost item often absentmindedly announce,”I found it in the last place I looked” Well,of course you did!Once you come across it,why would you continue searching? I feel the same way when I”m […]
Where is the productivity gap..?
You’d think that with all the iPad productivity apps, smartphone productivity apps, productivity blogs and techniques and discussions… that we’d be more productive as a result. Are you more productive? How much more? I wonder how much productivity comes from new techniques, and how much comes from merely getting sick of non-productivity and deciding to […]
Is it a gift…??
Here are attributes many of us value in co-workers, bosses, employees, friends and vendors: Honest Punctual Curious Proactive Flexible Thoughtful Generous Fun Committed Respectful Organized Interested Creative Likable Positive you get the idea. These are things that turn someone from ordinary into a star. They are even attributes we now assign to our favorite brands, […]
The 3 Decisions That Made Mandela a Trul...
Only a handful of people in a century command the global authority that Nelson Mandela does. These three crucial judgments cemented his greatness. Nelson Mandela’s life story has long since become a legend, one that transcends borders, race, language, or culture. His leadership truly belongs to the world. It would be absurd–let alone disrespectful to […]
Is It Perfection or exploration…
In an organization built around perfection, you need to push people to say, “Bad news, I made a mistake.” Only by surfacing mistakes can the organization stamp them out. In an organization built around exploration, on the other hand, people need to say, “Good news, I made a mistake.” Only by seeking things that don’t […]
How To Create Exponential Growth For You...
Most business focus only on one way to grow their businesses: get more customers. Usually this means expensive advertising campaigns that yield questionable results. They don’t do anything with the two other ways to grow a business, even though those ways are less expensive than getting new customers. And, by focusing on all of the […]
The Rise of The Sovereign Individual…
The ongoing transformation is both good news and bad. The good news is that the Information Revolution will liberate individuals as never before.For the first time,those who can educate and motivate themselves will be almost entirely free to invent their own work and realize the full benefits of their own productivity. Genius are being unleashed,free […]
Are you an insider…?
Are you an insider…? Business leaders are finally realizing that their most powerful assets are not their buildings, bank accounts, or even their technologies. It’s their relationships with their audiences. Relationships are about intention and attitude; shared interests, experimentation and growth. But conventional wisdom resists attempts to develop a business concept, a “brand,” around an […]
What if surfing was your daily job…?
Same waves,same beach(s), different day. The risk of skin cancer. The falling. Sand in your socks. The people hassling you for your spot on the wave. The pressure to do more sets. The other guys at the beach who don’t appreciate your style. The drudgery of doing it again tomorrow, when the weather sucks. And […]
Cashing the check …
A check in your wallet does you very little good. It represents opportunity, sure, but not action. Most of us are carrying around a check, an opportunity to make an impact, to do the work we’re capable of, to ship the art that would make a difference. No, the world isn’t fair, and most people […]
What if ocean front was your daily job…?
Surfing, Same waves, different day. The risk of skin cancer. The falling. Sand in your socks. The people hassling you for your spot on the wave. The pressure to do more sets. The other guys at the beach who don’t appreciate your style. The drudgery of doing it again tomorrow, when the weather sucks. And […]
Exploit Learning Together…
Meetup,Toastmasters, AA, book groups,workshops,team building events,midnight basketball, community college, jazz bands, … There’s a pattern here. We learn best when we learn together. It’s not merely the logistic efficiency of putting people together in a room. Now that the internet replaces that efficiency, we see that ‘more for less’ is the least of it. Learning […]
What happened to the dreams..?
Jack was a typical teenager. Overweight. Insecure. A bit soft and naive. Then one day, he had a dream. One in which he felt energetic, powerful, self-assured. That dream stirred Jake. It created a hunger that demanded to be fed. So he started going to the gym. He ran on the treadmill. He lifted weights. […]