Posted: August 8, 2019 | Categories: Self-Improvement

What percentage of American workers love their work?  If you guessed between 40-50%, you would be correct.  For some, loving their work is not that big a deal.  Their “true love” lies outside of their job – such as their family or racing cars.  Their job provides a paycheck.  That’s OK.  What about the other half who want to love what they do to make a living?

I have always been determined to love my work.  Years ago I learned a lesson from a friend who was launching his career.  He and his wife took a whole weekend to think about their values and Bob’s talents, and came up with a list of 10 “absolutes” that needed to exist before any job was accepted.  As the search began, Bob was tempted to take a couple jobs that were missing one of the components on the list.  He remembered his commitment and turned the jobs down.  He eventually found what he was looking for.  Some 40 years later he is still loving his work.

Bob was smart.  Loving his work was important.  He didn’t want to wake up one day at age 45 and realize he did not like his work.  By that time, he would be settled in and starting a new career would be a financial hit.  Bob started out on the right soil and bloomed where he was planted.  How about you?  Is it important that you love your work?  If so, I recommend you do the “Bob” exercise and determine your absolutes.  If you stick to these absolutes, they will serve you well.

Posted: May 8, 2019 | Categories: Self-Improvement, Team Building

A productive team knows how to synergistically solve problems.  It is a skill, and for most of us, it takes practice.  One of the best places to practice is in our own home.  Every family has their share of problems along with an occasional crisis.  How a family bands together to solve the problem can be vital to its well-being. Here is an example:

When my son David was 16, he came home from school one day all excited about getting an IPod.  I knew how much an Ipod cost, and I also understood he could afford one.  David is frugal by nature.  I said, “How much is this IPod going to cost you?”   “$200” he said.  That sounded like a very low price.  I asked him directly, “Is this hot merchandise?”  “Yeah, I know someone who has a bunch of them”.  I wanted to react, but instead I simply affirmed what David said.  “So the way you see it, if you buy this, you would be in possession of stolen merchandise, but you wouldn’t be stealing it directly.  Is that right?”  In a defiant tone, he said, “Yeah”.  I responded with silence.  30 minutes later, David said, “Dad, can you take me to the store.  I want to get that IPod”.  I wanted him to make the right choice.  I also wanted him to take part in the decision (Ownership)

This is a family problem.  In the workplace, there are problems almost every day for many.  There is miscommunication, people get offended, someone drops the ball, or you find you need to get in alignment with a co-worker or boss.  When you must confront, here are the rules:

1.  Begin in a friendly way with a respectful tone.
2. Ask questions to understand.
3. Listen to understand.  Suspend judgment.
4. Affirm what you have heard.
5. Instead of making a statement or speech, ask a question.
6. Create a win-win

If you and your team can do this consistently when confronting problems, you will find yourself working in a more favorable and fulfilling working environment.

Posted: March 15, 2019 | Categories: Self-Improvement

Are you a “morning person”?  If so, you are in good company.  According to studies noted in Daniel Pink’s book, The Scientific Secrets of perfect timing”, about 80% of us our morning people.  Research has also shown that our focus and energy levels can vary throughout the day.  Knowing this can help us plan a more productive work day.  Mr. Pink goes on to say that morning people generally experience the day in three acts:  A peak, a trough, and a rebound.

The peak:  For most of us, the sharp-minded analytic capacities crest in late morning.  This is the best time to tackle work that requires the deepest and most critical thinking.  Many say this is our highest paid skill.  When I am writing a training plan or preparing for a training session, this is my premium time.  We have our “deep” work that needs to be done.  It is easy to procrastinate, but it contains the work that is a big chunk of our paycheck.  This time is gold.

The trough:  This occurs in early afternoon.  This is when we want to do those more mindless activities.  It is a good time to do our routine administrative work such as sorting through email, filing papers, or doing expense reports.

The rebound:  This may not be our peak period, but it is not to be discounted.  Recovering from the trough, we are usually in a boosted mood.  This can generate less rigidity and more openness.  Reading, planning, looking through our goals, and brainstorming can make this period innovative.  We may find ourselves generating new ideas that we could add to our plan.

Now at this point some of you “night people” might be asking, “What about me?”  The author says that you do the same thing, only in reverse.  I am not sure what that means.  I am glad I am a morning person.  What I do know is that we need to plan our day and be intentional, and good planning involves selecting the best time for our tasks and activities.  Knowledge of your peak, your trough, and the rebound can help you have a more productive day.

Posted: December 6, 2018 | Categories: Self-Improvement, Team Building

If we are very skilled at doing something, there was a time when we weren’t. It is one thing when we stumble. I think it is even tougher when we watch someone we love struggle.

One of the most uncomfortable times of my life happened in the fall of 2008. We were in the midst of a terrible recession, and my son had recently graduated from college. He was eager to launch his career working as a financial adviser. He was hired by a reputable company, and they provided him with all the resources he needed to succeed…except clients! He had to develop those on his own. He worked out of our house, and I heard him dial and dial the phone with very disappointing results. I thought he might get frustrated and quit. He didn’t. Kept picking himself up and starting over.

It reminds me of a scene I saw years ago when I was enjoying a walk after lunch. I noticed a mother duck marching along with a trail of little ones behind her. They followed mama and would not let her out of their sight. Then mama came to a curb. She jumped the curb and turned around to look at her brood. They were in a panic, and one by one they began attempting to jump up the curb to catch up with her. Some succeeded after a couple tries, while others kept attempting to jump, but kept falling back down. It must have been painful for those little ducks to crash to the pavement. I thought mama would offer to help. She didn’t. She waited until all the little chicks made it up the curb. Then, she looked at me, quacked, and the caravan of mama and the ducks moved on.

Folks, we can at least be as smart as a duck. Let’s not be afraid to let those we love struggle when they are learning something. It is the way we get better!

Posted: April 16, 2018 | Categories: Sales, Self-Improvement

One thing I love about coaching is sharing in my client’s success.  Today was a special day.  Bill called me all excited:  He just received two PO’s that enabled him to achieve his goal for the entire year.  That means that in less than three months his sales were now equal to his boss’ expectations for the whole year.  How did he do it?

Bill has a lot of good qualities.  He plans well, works hard, and knows how to maintain a sense of humor and positive attitude.  He also knows how to plan a clear, detailed road map to his goal and get there one foot in front of another.  He knows his goal and he knows the type and amount of activity needed to get there.   It is not guesswork.  He has figured it out through his consistent tracking.  Sounds simple, but I find that most sales professionals have no idea of the amount of activity and planning it will take to get to their goals.  Not surprisingly, they usually fall short.

Here is an analogy:  Last month I had knee replacement surgery.  For those who have had this procedure, you know that there is much rehab and physical therapy needed after the operation.  If we aren’t disciplined in our exercises, the scar tissue will become stiff in the knee, and we will walk with a stiff leg the rest of our lives.  So, we do the exercises!  The PT knows just what activity we need to do and to what intensity we need to do it.  If we diligently stay with the program, our knee will be fine.

Think about our sales strategy.  Like the PT, have we developed our own strategic road map to our sales goals?  If not, there is no time like the present.  Like Bill, take the time to map out your strategy in detail and employ a daily discipline to stay with it.