“Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.”
--Will Rogers
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Monday, February 18, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Quote of the Day
Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and get to work.
-- H.L. Hunt
-- H.L. Hunt
Wherever You Are, Be There
One of the major reasons why we fail to find happiness or to create unique lifestyle is because we have not yet mastered the art of being.
While we are home our thoughts are still absorbed with solving the challenges we face at the office. And when we are at the office we find ourselves worrying about problems at home.
We go through the day without really listening to what others are saying to us. We may be hearing the words, but we aren't absorbing the message.
As we go through the day we find ourselves focusing on past experiences or future possibilities. We are so involved in yesterday and tomorrow that we never even notice that today is slipping by.
We go through the day rather than getting something from the day. We are everywhere at any given moment in time except living in that moment in time.
Lifestyle is learning to be wherever you are. It is developing a unique focus on the current moment, and drawing from it all of the substance and wealth of experience and emotions that it has to offer. Lifestyle is taking time to watch a sunset. Lifestyle is listening to silence. Lifestyle is capturing each moment so that it becomes a new part of what we are and of what we are in the process of becoming. Lifestyle is not something we do; it is something we experience. And until we learn to be there, we will never master the art of living well.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
While we are home our thoughts are still absorbed with solving the challenges we face at the office. And when we are at the office we find ourselves worrying about problems at home.
We go through the day without really listening to what others are saying to us. We may be hearing the words, but we aren't absorbing the message.
As we go through the day we find ourselves focusing on past experiences or future possibilities. We are so involved in yesterday and tomorrow that we never even notice that today is slipping by.
We go through the day rather than getting something from the day. We are everywhere at any given moment in time except living in that moment in time.
Lifestyle is learning to be wherever you are. It is developing a unique focus on the current moment, and drawing from it all of the substance and wealth of experience and emotions that it has to offer. Lifestyle is taking time to watch a sunset. Lifestyle is listening to silence. Lifestyle is capturing each moment so that it becomes a new part of what we are and of what we are in the process of becoming. Lifestyle is not something we do; it is something we experience. And until we learn to be there, we will never master the art of living well.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Quote of the Day
"A man who dares to waste one hour of life has not discovered the value of life."
-- Charles Darwin
-- Charles Darwin
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Quote of the Day
"Your self-image controls your performance; see yourself as confident and in complete control."
-Brian Tracy
-Brian Tracy
Friday, January 18, 2008
Who Else (Besides a Majority of Business Professionals) Wants Work Life Balance in 2008?
A nationwide survey sheds some light as to what people think will help them achieve their business goals in 2008. What made the top of the list? Achieving a work-life balance!
This should come to no surprise to many of you reading this. It seems we are all working longer hours and spending more time trying to keep up with technology rather than using it to help us achieve productivity gains. We’ve become victims of our own success; often times forgetting about those people we share a house with — our family.
Many of us spend too much time with our noses to the grindstone and not enough time pursuing our passions in life. For some of us, its lack of organization that seems to hold us down. We end up spending a majority of our time trying to track down information or sort through the massive inflow of information that comes across our desk each day. For others it may be that we believe we have to have our finger on every pulse our business generates — we are afraid of letting go, thinking that nobody could possibly do it better than we can so we better keep on top of it.
Ask yourself these questions:
* “Have I missed family obligations regularly during the past year?” There are many of us who simply don’t know what a work-life balance is. We think that working 60+ hour weeks is normal and that missing our son’s or daughter’s school play is just “the way the world works today”. Yet, if that were true, then how come so many other parents always seem to be there when you aren’t? Are you going to wake up one morning and realize that your children are grown and that the family that you worked on starting went on with life without you?
* “Am I satisfied with the way my life is right now?” If you can say yes, even though you are working those 60+ hour weeks, then your life is balanced the way you see fit. If on the other hand, you answer no then there are ways to make your life, and your job, more enjoyable and productive so that you achieve your life goals and make your career more rewarding and productive.
* “Am I doing what I love?” When we look for this work-life balance, sometimes the journey isn’t about finding out what works for us — but rather it is finding out what doesn’t work. What do you want out of life? When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up? Even if you are 50, what do you want to do in your life and your career? The answers may lead you to discover that for whatever reason you strayed from the original path that you wanted to lead your life.
There are plenty of people who get up every morning and head out to jobs that they dread. These may be people working at a factory, or even a CEO of a major corporation. They are doing what they think they have to do. Often they got to where they are at just by “following along” and doing what they thought came next. Instead of letting their goals and dreams of life lead them, they let the corporate ladder be their road to what to do next. These are the people who don’t smile when they talk about work (at least occasionally) or those who toss and turn all night long because they know another day is going to bring more of the same — more of what they dread.
Make 2008 the year to take stock of your life goals. If you feel you’ve gotten off track, then make changes.
Here’s how to get started:
(1) Write a list of what you want to do to spend more time with your family and then pursue ways to make it happen.
(2) Next, take a few steps to find ways to do things at your business or job more productive – like taking steps to get rid of the information overload, or prioritizing projects or clients. Sometimes in order to grow your business, and yourself, you have to know when to say no to a client or project. Saying no is not always a bad thing.
The New Year brings us a lot of opportunities to help us get our lives back on track. It can be the year that we set out on the journey to achieve all the things we enjoy and our passionate about. It can be the year we get to know, all over again, our family and spouses. It can be the year we grow our business or advance in our career by not working harder, but rather working smarter. It can even be the year we discover a new career.
What will 2008 help you do? More importantly, what will you do in 2008 to achieve a work-life balance that advances your life for the
This should come to no surprise to many of you reading this. It seems we are all working longer hours and spending more time trying to keep up with technology rather than using it to help us achieve productivity gains. We’ve become victims of our own success; often times forgetting about those people we share a house with — our family.
Many of us spend too much time with our noses to the grindstone and not enough time pursuing our passions in life. For some of us, its lack of organization that seems to hold us down. We end up spending a majority of our time trying to track down information or sort through the massive inflow of information that comes across our desk each day. For others it may be that we believe we have to have our finger on every pulse our business generates — we are afraid of letting go, thinking that nobody could possibly do it better than we can so we better keep on top of it.
Ask yourself these questions:
* “Have I missed family obligations regularly during the past year?” There are many of us who simply don’t know what a work-life balance is. We think that working 60+ hour weeks is normal and that missing our son’s or daughter’s school play is just “the way the world works today”. Yet, if that were true, then how come so many other parents always seem to be there when you aren’t? Are you going to wake up one morning and realize that your children are grown and that the family that you worked on starting went on with life without you?
* “Am I satisfied with the way my life is right now?” If you can say yes, even though you are working those 60+ hour weeks, then your life is balanced the way you see fit. If on the other hand, you answer no then there are ways to make your life, and your job, more enjoyable and productive so that you achieve your life goals and make your career more rewarding and productive.
* “Am I doing what I love?” When we look for this work-life balance, sometimes the journey isn’t about finding out what works for us — but rather it is finding out what doesn’t work. What do you want out of life? When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up? Even if you are 50, what do you want to do in your life and your career? The answers may lead you to discover that for whatever reason you strayed from the original path that you wanted to lead your life.
There are plenty of people who get up every morning and head out to jobs that they dread. These may be people working at a factory, or even a CEO of a major corporation. They are doing what they think they have to do. Often they got to where they are at just by “following along” and doing what they thought came next. Instead of letting their goals and dreams of life lead them, they let the corporate ladder be their road to what to do next. These are the people who don’t smile when they talk about work (at least occasionally) or those who toss and turn all night long because they know another day is going to bring more of the same — more of what they dread.
Make 2008 the year to take stock of your life goals. If you feel you’ve gotten off track, then make changes.
Here’s how to get started:
(1) Write a list of what you want to do to spend more time with your family and then pursue ways to make it happen.
(2) Next, take a few steps to find ways to do things at your business or job more productive – like taking steps to get rid of the information overload, or prioritizing projects or clients. Sometimes in order to grow your business, and yourself, you have to know when to say no to a client or project. Saying no is not always a bad thing.
The New Year brings us a lot of opportunities to help us get our lives back on track. It can be the year that we set out on the journey to achieve all the things we enjoy and our passionate about. It can be the year we get to know, all over again, our family and spouses. It can be the year we grow our business or advance in our career by not working harder, but rather working smarter. It can even be the year we discover a new career.
What will 2008 help you do? More importantly, what will you do in 2008 to achieve a work-life balance that advances your life for the
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
IT'S EASY TO EARN MONEY
By Bob Proctor
There is a very real possibility that everything you and I have been taught about how to earn money is so far from the truth that it's almost comical. Earning money has nothing to do with age, formal education, gender or geography. It has nothing to do with past experience or your formal years of education or your level of intellect. Check it out...there are individuals who are functionally illiterate who have become multi-millionaires, while there are others who are absolutely brilliant and they are broke. Virtually anyone can be taught how to earn millions of dollars and yet the sad truth is that 97 out of every 100 people are born, live their entire lives, and die without ever learning how to earn money. To perpetuate this ridiculous problem, their ignorance is passed along from one generation to the next.
Our school system has been designed as an environment to enlighten young minds, to replace ignorance with understanding and thereby improve the quality of life. Our educational system has obviously been successful in many areas. However, it has woefully neglected one important subject, "How to Earn Money." You can earn a doctorate degree in economics and have little or no knowledge of how to earn money. A lack of understanding in this area is the cause of numerous unwanted and unnecessary problems, since money is the medium of exchange that is used worldwide for other people's products and services.
There has always been a small, select group, approximately 3% of our population, who clearly understand that prosperity consciousness is the primary cause of wealth and their prosperity consciousness, like ignorance, is also passed down from one generation to the next.
Let's look at "money." What is it? Money is a reward you receive for the service you render. The more valuable the service, the greater the reward. Thinking of ways we can be of greater service will not only help us earn more money, it will also enable us to grow intellectually and spiritually.
Money Is An Idea
The paper you fold and place in your purse or pocket is not money. It is paper with ink on it. It represents money, but it is not money. Money is an idea. The earning of money has nothing to do with the paper stuff. It has to do with consciousness.
I am aware there are books that instruct you on how to manipulate the market, stocks and people...they might even help you get money. But, let me caution you...when there is no spiritual growth...there is no spiritual strength...there is no lasting happiness...and, there is no real or lasting wealth.
To accumulate wealth, a person must become very comfortable with the idea of money. That may sound strange, however most people are not comfortable with the idea of money, which is why they do not have any. The cause of poverty is poverty consciousness. A poverty consciousness will cause a person to see, hear, smell, think and feel...lack and limitation.
The late Mike Todd said, "Being broke is a temporary situation. Being poor is a mental state."
He was correct. There are wealthy people who lose every cent they have through a series of mistakes in judgement...but that does not make them poor. They will have it all back in a short time because of their prosperity consciousness.
If you have any question in your mind regarding your level of consciousness with respect to money, be very honest with yourself and look at your results. Study the patterns in your life.
If you want to improve your financial position in life, focus your attention on creating a higher level of prosperity consciousness. Begin by preparing a powerful, positive affirmation and fuel it with emotion. When you do this, you are depositing this creative energy in the treasury of your sub-conscious mind. And, by repeating this process over and over and over again every day, it will begin to alter your conditioning and mentally move you in the direction you want to go. Write it out, read it, feel it, and let it take hold of your mind.
How much money do you want? Saying you want more is not good enough. Five dollars is more. How much more? Decide on a figure. Be specific. You will not seriously want more money than you are capable of earning...however, you would be wise to remember, you must earn it.
There Are Three Income Earning Strategies
Trading time for money – By far the worst of the three income earning strategies, it is employed by approximately 96% of our population – doctors, lawyers, accountants, laborers, etc. There is an inherent problem with this strategy – saturation. You run out of time. If a person accumulates any degree of wealth employing this strategy, it will be at the expense of a life. They compromise on the car they drive, the house they live in, the clothes they choose and the vacations they take. They rarely, if ever, get what they want.
Investing money to earn money – This strategy is used by approximately 3% of the population. The number is small for the obvious reason – very few people have any money to invest. Many people who effectively employ this strategy follow the advice of a trusted, knowledgeable advisor.
Leveraging yourself to earn money – This is where you multiply your time through the efforts of others by setting up Multiple Sources of Income (MSI). This is, without question, the very best way to increase your income. Make a decision to have many sources of income; it's the strategy that wealthy people have used dating clear back to the ancient Babylonians. Unfortunately, this strategy is only used by approximately 1% of our population, yet that 1% earns approximately 96% of all the money that is earned! You are only a decision away from membership.
Once you determine how much money you want to earn, write it down on a sheet of paper in large figures. Look at the number with the dollar sign beside it and tell yourself over and over again:
That Amount of Money is an Effect.
It Represents a Reward that I Want to Receive.
What Service Can I Render that Would be Deserving of that Reward?
You can take the total figure and divide it into multiple parts. Each part would represent a source of income. Each source of income represents a separate reward that you would receive for a service you would render.
Work on one source of income at a time; each one can become an exciting part of your life. What you are actually doing is thinking of different ways you can be of service to others.
Think of how you can do whatever you do – more effectively.
Think of how you can improve the quality and quantity of service you render.
Think of how you can help people in a greater way.
Money is the ultimate servant. The more you earn, the more you can help others.
There is a very real possibility that everything you and I have been taught about how to earn money is so far from the truth that it's almost comical. Earning money has nothing to do with age, formal education, gender or geography. It has nothing to do with past experience or your formal years of education or your level of intellect. Check it out...there are individuals who are functionally illiterate who have become multi-millionaires, while there are others who are absolutely brilliant and they are broke. Virtually anyone can be taught how to earn millions of dollars and yet the sad truth is that 97 out of every 100 people are born, live their entire lives, and die without ever learning how to earn money. To perpetuate this ridiculous problem, their ignorance is passed along from one generation to the next.
Our school system has been designed as an environment to enlighten young minds, to replace ignorance with understanding and thereby improve the quality of life. Our educational system has obviously been successful in many areas. However, it has woefully neglected one important subject, "How to Earn Money." You can earn a doctorate degree in economics and have little or no knowledge of how to earn money. A lack of understanding in this area is the cause of numerous unwanted and unnecessary problems, since money is the medium of exchange that is used worldwide for other people's products and services.
There has always been a small, select group, approximately 3% of our population, who clearly understand that prosperity consciousness is the primary cause of wealth and their prosperity consciousness, like ignorance, is also passed down from one generation to the next.
Let's look at "money." What is it? Money is a reward you receive for the service you render. The more valuable the service, the greater the reward. Thinking of ways we can be of greater service will not only help us earn more money, it will also enable us to grow intellectually and spiritually.
Money Is An Idea
The paper you fold and place in your purse or pocket is not money. It is paper with ink on it. It represents money, but it is not money. Money is an idea. The earning of money has nothing to do with the paper stuff. It has to do with consciousness.
I am aware there are books that instruct you on how to manipulate the market, stocks and people...they might even help you get money. But, let me caution you...when there is no spiritual growth...there is no spiritual strength...there is no lasting happiness...and, there is no real or lasting wealth.
To accumulate wealth, a person must become very comfortable with the idea of money. That may sound strange, however most people are not comfortable with the idea of money, which is why they do not have any. The cause of poverty is poverty consciousness. A poverty consciousness will cause a person to see, hear, smell, think and feel...lack and limitation.
The late Mike Todd said, "Being broke is a temporary situation. Being poor is a mental state."
He was correct. There are wealthy people who lose every cent they have through a series of mistakes in judgement...but that does not make them poor. They will have it all back in a short time because of their prosperity consciousness.
If you have any question in your mind regarding your level of consciousness with respect to money, be very honest with yourself and look at your results. Study the patterns in your life.
If you want to improve your financial position in life, focus your attention on creating a higher level of prosperity consciousness. Begin by preparing a powerful, positive affirmation and fuel it with emotion. When you do this, you are depositing this creative energy in the treasury of your sub-conscious mind. And, by repeating this process over and over and over again every day, it will begin to alter your conditioning and mentally move you in the direction you want to go. Write it out, read it, feel it, and let it take hold of your mind.
How much money do you want? Saying you want more is not good enough. Five dollars is more. How much more? Decide on a figure. Be specific. You will not seriously want more money than you are capable of earning...however, you would be wise to remember, you must earn it.
There Are Three Income Earning Strategies
Trading time for money – By far the worst of the three income earning strategies, it is employed by approximately 96% of our population – doctors, lawyers, accountants, laborers, etc. There is an inherent problem with this strategy – saturation. You run out of time. If a person accumulates any degree of wealth employing this strategy, it will be at the expense of a life. They compromise on the car they drive, the house they live in, the clothes they choose and the vacations they take. They rarely, if ever, get what they want.
Investing money to earn money – This strategy is used by approximately 3% of the population. The number is small for the obvious reason – very few people have any money to invest. Many people who effectively employ this strategy follow the advice of a trusted, knowledgeable advisor.
Leveraging yourself to earn money – This is where you multiply your time through the efforts of others by setting up Multiple Sources of Income (MSI). This is, without question, the very best way to increase your income. Make a decision to have many sources of income; it's the strategy that wealthy people have used dating clear back to the ancient Babylonians. Unfortunately, this strategy is only used by approximately 1% of our population, yet that 1% earns approximately 96% of all the money that is earned! You are only a decision away from membership.
Once you determine how much money you want to earn, write it down on a sheet of paper in large figures. Look at the number with the dollar sign beside it and tell yourself over and over again:
That Amount of Money is an Effect.
It Represents a Reward that I Want to Receive.
What Service Can I Render that Would be Deserving of that Reward?
You can take the total figure and divide it into multiple parts. Each part would represent a source of income. Each source of income represents a separate reward that you would receive for a service you would render.
Work on one source of income at a time; each one can become an exciting part of your life. What you are actually doing is thinking of different ways you can be of service to others.
Think of how you can do whatever you do – more effectively.
Think of how you can improve the quality and quantity of service you render.
Think of how you can help people in a greater way.
Money is the ultimate servant. The more you earn, the more you can help others.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Quote of the Day
"Profits are better than wages. Wages make you a living; profits make you a fortune."
-Jim Rohn
-Jim Rohn
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Quote of the Day
And remember that time waits for no one. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present.
-Unknown
-Unknown
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Quote of the Day
"The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one." -
-Elbert Hubbard
-Elbert Hubbard
Friday, January 11, 2008
Quote of the Day
"If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they may have planned for you? Not much."
-Jim Rohn
-Jim Rohn
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Quote of the Day
If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they may have planned for you? Not much."
-Jim Rohn
-Jim Rohn
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Wherever You Are, Be There
By Jim Rohn
One of the major reasons why we fail to find happiness or to create unique lifestyle is because we have not yet mastered the art of being.
While we are home our thoughts are still absorbed with solving the challenges we face at the office. And when we are at the office we find ourselves worrying about problems at home.
We go through the day without really listening to what others are saying to us. We may be hearing the words, but we aren't absorbing the message.
As we go through the day we find ourselves focusing on past experiences or future possibilities. We are so involved in yesterday and tomorrow that we never even notice that today is slipping by.
We go through the day rather than getting something from the day. We are everywhere at any given moment in time except living in that moment in time.
Lifestyle is learning to be wherever you are.
It is developing a unique focus on the current moment, and drawing from it all of the substance and wealth of experience and emotions that it has to offer.
Lifestyle is taking time to watch a sunset.
Lifestyle is listening to silence.
Lifestyle is capturing each moment so that it becomes a new part of what we are and of what we are in the process of becoming.
Lifestyle is not something we do; it is something we experience. And until we learn to be there, we will never master the art of living well.
Monday, January 7, 2008
A Dollar and Some Ambition
By Jim Rohn
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.
Jim Rohn is an American motivational speaker and author whose work has been influential in launching or furthering the careers of many others in the personal development industry, including Anthony Robbins, Mark Victor Hansen, Brian Tracy, and Jack Canfield
Mr. Rohn discovered a demand from people outside his industry to hear his rags to riches story and the personal development philosophy that he felt had led to his accomplishments. His seminars have a span of over 39 years. He has addressed over 6,000 audiences and 4 million people worldwide. He was the recipient of the 1985 National Speakers Association CPAE Award and is the author of 17 different books, audio and video programs. Mr. Jim Rohn has been internationally hailed over the years as one of the most influential thinkers of our time.
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.
Jim Rohn is an American motivational speaker and author whose work has been influential in launching or furthering the careers of many others in the personal development industry, including Anthony Robbins, Mark Victor Hansen, Brian Tracy, and Jack Canfield
Mr. Rohn discovered a demand from people outside his industry to hear his rags to riches story and the personal development philosophy that he felt had led to his accomplishments. His seminars have a span of over 39 years. He has addressed over 6,000 audiences and 4 million people worldwide. He was the recipient of the 1985 National Speakers Association CPAE Award and is the author of 17 different books, audio and video programs. Mr. Jim Rohn has been internationally hailed over the years as one of the most influential thinkers of our time.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Ten Steps to Becoming a Better Leader in 2008
This is a great article from George Franks of Franks Consulting Group that I came across and is timely and it applies to whichever industry or endeavor you are currently involved with.
New Years is a time for many people to evaluate where they are, where they want to and what they need to change in their day-to-day lives. For leaders, whether they are supervisors, managers, mid-level executives or senior executives in any field, being more effective is the key to success – for themselves and their organization. The New Year is a good time to evaluate what leadership skills and traits are working and which ones are inhibiting success. Here are ten of them for your consideration.Start
By learning at least ten facts about each of your “direct reporting” employees. Take time to know more about them, and their lives in and out of the work place makes them more human and builds respect and rapport between the two of you.
Stop
Micromanaging the daily activities of your employees at any level in the organization. Micromanaging decreases productivity, creativity and motivation. If you give them clear objectives and then monitor their attainment of those objectives on a periodic basis, most employees perform at higher levels.
Start
Having a direct face-to-face conversation with your people at all levels in the organization about what is and – more importantly – what is not working. The key here is to listen rather than to talk. But asking lots of questions is good. While you may not act on every point, issue or idea, it is important to gain a more a front line perspective of what is going on in the organization.
Stop
Putting off writing and giving performance appraisals to your direct report employees at the last minute. Most managers at any level make this mistake. As a leader of people, continuous feedback which culminates in the comprehensive and thorough performance appraisal is essential.
Start
Being more candid about all feedback. Do not say something is good if it is mediocre. Do not say something is adequate if it is poor. Whether it is a product, a presentation, a report, an advertisement or a strategy, being more honest and candid is the right thing to do for yourself and for your organization. Far too many people are generous with praise and accept substandard work.
Stop
Interacting with people by email. Face-to-face is ideal. If not face-to-face then over the telephone. The last resort should be by e-mail. Too many managers at all levels hide behind e-mail rather than dealing directly with their peers, bosses, employees or even customers. There is nothing like the personal touch for a leader.
Start
Encouraging your people to get more training and education. The natural instinct is to say “no”. You cannot afford for them to be away from the office. But more training and education will make them more effective, more creative and more valuable when they are at work. Invest in your people.
Stop
That fake “rah-rah” program of the month type initiatives. They waste everyone’s time, energy and the organization’s budget. Understand your vision, your mission and your values. Ensure your objectives and clearly and quantified. Then focus on getting your time energized about what needs to be done to meet those objectives.
Start
Being a real “coach” by making sure that you communication the goals and objectives clearly. You should be able to ask any member of your team about their objectives and you should get a clear and concise response including where they stand relative to achieving them to-date. If they cannot to this, then you have not been clear enough about their objectives.
Stop
Accepting recognition for yourself. Direct all recognition to your people. The soldiers on the front lines deserve the medals. Not the pencil pushers behind the desks at Headquarters. When something good happens, make sure the right person gets recognized – and promptly.
Being a “boss” is not easy. It is really about being a leader – not a manager – regardless of the title. To be a more effective leader in the New Year, starting and stopping the behaviors and actions outlined above will provide a good new beginning.
George F. Franks, III is the President of Franks Consulting Group - a management consulting and leadership coaching practice. Franks Consulting Group is on the web at:http://franksconsultinggroup.comGeorge can be e-mailed at:gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com
New Years is a time for many people to evaluate where they are, where they want to and what they need to change in their day-to-day lives. For leaders, whether they are supervisors, managers, mid-level executives or senior executives in any field, being more effective is the key to success – for themselves and their organization. The New Year is a good time to evaluate what leadership skills and traits are working and which ones are inhibiting success. Here are ten of them for your consideration.Start
By learning at least ten facts about each of your “direct reporting” employees. Take time to know more about them, and their lives in and out of the work place makes them more human and builds respect and rapport between the two of you.
Stop
Micromanaging the daily activities of your employees at any level in the organization. Micromanaging decreases productivity, creativity and motivation. If you give them clear objectives and then monitor their attainment of those objectives on a periodic basis, most employees perform at higher levels.
Start
Having a direct face-to-face conversation with your people at all levels in the organization about what is and – more importantly – what is not working. The key here is to listen rather than to talk. But asking lots of questions is good. While you may not act on every point, issue or idea, it is important to gain a more a front line perspective of what is going on in the organization.
Stop
Putting off writing and giving performance appraisals to your direct report employees at the last minute. Most managers at any level make this mistake. As a leader of people, continuous feedback which culminates in the comprehensive and thorough performance appraisal is essential.
Start
Being more candid about all feedback. Do not say something is good if it is mediocre. Do not say something is adequate if it is poor. Whether it is a product, a presentation, a report, an advertisement or a strategy, being more honest and candid is the right thing to do for yourself and for your organization. Far too many people are generous with praise and accept substandard work.
Stop
Interacting with people by email. Face-to-face is ideal. If not face-to-face then over the telephone. The last resort should be by e-mail. Too many managers at all levels hide behind e-mail rather than dealing directly with their peers, bosses, employees or even customers. There is nothing like the personal touch for a leader.
Start
Encouraging your people to get more training and education. The natural instinct is to say “no”. You cannot afford for them to be away from the office. But more training and education will make them more effective, more creative and more valuable when they are at work. Invest in your people.
Stop
That fake “rah-rah” program of the month type initiatives. They waste everyone’s time, energy and the organization’s budget. Understand your vision, your mission and your values. Ensure your objectives and clearly and quantified. Then focus on getting your time energized about what needs to be done to meet those objectives.
Start
Being a real “coach” by making sure that you communication the goals and objectives clearly. You should be able to ask any member of your team about their objectives and you should get a clear and concise response including where they stand relative to achieving them to-date. If they cannot to this, then you have not been clear enough about their objectives.
Stop
Accepting recognition for yourself. Direct all recognition to your people. The soldiers on the front lines deserve the medals. Not the pencil pushers behind the desks at Headquarters. When something good happens, make sure the right person gets recognized – and promptly.
Being a “boss” is not easy. It is really about being a leader – not a manager – regardless of the title. To be a more effective leader in the New Year, starting and stopping the behaviors and actions outlined above will provide a good new beginning.
George F. Franks, III is the President of Franks Consulting Group - a management consulting and leadership coaching practice. Franks Consulting Group is on the web at:http://franksconsultinggroup.comGeorge can be e-mailed at:gfranks@franksconsultinggroup.com
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