Month: July 2017

Leave a comment Posted on Leadership

Use Your Wonderful Mind by Earl Nightingale

"Use your wonderful mind to its fullest. It won’t wear out. Our brains thrive on exercise. It might not be a bad idea to try out all four of your creative switches today. I mean the absorption, retention, judgment, and imagination powers we’ve been talking about.

This evening, for example, you might pick a subject that’s important to you. Read about it, or talk with someone who’s well informed about it. Absorb all you can. Recall from your memory all the information it contains on this subject.

Put these facts down on paper. Next, judge which of these facts are useful to you. Then imagine, think of new ways to apply these in your daily life.

Absorb, recall, judge, and imagine."

Excerpt from The Strangest Secret

Leave a comment Posted on Character, Leadership, Ownership, Professionalism, Success

Become More Valuable

A few days ago, I shared how to create a great customer experience.  Today, I want to use those same steps to show you how you can become more valuable – to add value – to your team and others in your company.

LISTEN

When a team member or colleague brings you an issue, problem, concern, question…take time to truly listen to what it is they are saying.  Don’t jump to a conclusion or give them a fast answer.  Listen carefully.

ASK

Ask great questions to get to the core issue.  Avoid asking yes/no questions or “why” questions.  Asking great questions will get you to their core issue the fastest.  It also demonstrates that you are actively listening to them.

FEEL

If the person in front of you is frustrated, angry, tense, etc., take the time to empathize with them.  Don’t merely sympathize (“oh, I’m sorry”).  Don’t make light of their situation (“today sucks to be you!”).  Feel what they are feeling and identify with that.

THINK

Once you have the core issue clarified, think.  What resources do you have that can help resolve your team member’s issue?  What resources do you know about that can help?  Who else can you call on for assistance?  Think.

ACT

Once you’ve listened carefully, asked great questions, empathized with the person, and really thought about the best way to help, then (AND ONLY THEN) act.  Far too often people jump into action too quickly.  Act with intention and purpose.

FOLLOW-UP

Following up a couple of days later says that you care about how the resolution is working or not working for the person you helped.  This can be a great learning opportunity for you.  It will create stronger relationships at work as you demonstrate your willingness and ability to invest in someone else.

Make your work interactions better.  Follow this process to add value to your team and your company.

Remember, when you get better, your company gets better.

cropped-become-better-square.jpg

Leave a comment Posted on Communication, Leadership, Ownership, Passion, Success

What Great Mentors Do

I attended a meeting a week or so ago on mentoring.  At this meeting, several people shared about mentoring from different points of view.  One of the speakers was a young man, Brad Thomas.  He shared how being mentoring has changed his perspective and life.  His presentation was outstanding.

He shared that he believed a great mentor does 4 things for their “mentee”.  Here is it:

Great Mentors

So, leaders, are you a mentor?  If not, find someone today!  Our company promotes this and many of us are actively mentoring.  When you get this privilege, don’t forget Brad’s words:

  • Expand – a great mentor will expand someone’s world-view.  They will expand knowledge and help point to resources.
  • Engage – a great mentor will cause the “mentee” to think and act.
  • Encourage – a great mentor will build up the “mentee” and help them build on their strengths.
  • Empower – a great mentor will reveal to the “mentee” that they have power to act and make an impact.

Make the investment to pour yourself into the life of another.  It is so worth it!

Leave a comment Posted on Leadership

Me?! Read?!

I hear it all the time. "I don't read books." "I can't read books." "I don't have time to read!"

Do you have 15 to 20 minutes a day that you could read? Yes, you do. So do I.

The average business book is anywhere from 250-300 pages long. If you read 10 pages a day, you read that book in a month or less.

None of us have time to sit down and read a 300 page book in 1 sitting. But we all have time to take small incremental steps every day that will allow us to finish that book.

This is a slight edge principal from Jeff Olson's book, The Slight Edge. Take 10 to 15 minutes – if you are an average reader – and read 10 pages a day. I challenge you to do this for one month. You will finish that book.

Leave a comment Posted on Leadership

Right Now?

Go, Leader, Grow!

I had a team member from a different department reach out to me recently asking to meet. He wants to talk about how he can get into my department.  I have a relatively small department with no immediate openings.  But that’s not what I’ll focus our conversation on later this month.

Instead of addressing “is the time right now?”, I’ll be asking “are you the right person doing the right things”.

I’ve seen this play out too many times in my career.  People want to create an opportunity when I wish they would work on character (being the right person) and results (doing the right things).

If a person wants to be considered for a promotion, move to a different department, find a job, be considered for that next big project – they need to be focusing on what they can control TODAY to be prepared for tomorrow.  None of…

View original post 158 more words

Leave a comment Posted on Leadership

Take Action by Jim Johnson 

Leaders are faced with decisions and calls-to-action all day long:

  • Staffing decisions
  • Vendor decisions
  • Strategic plans
  • Customer resolutions
  • Team members needing feedback

At those critical points where YOUR action is required, ACT. Don’t rely on good intentions.

  • “I’ll put off that difficult conversation with that team member…”
  • “I’ll call that vendor back next week…”
  • “Everyone knows where we’re going, right?…”
  • “That customer can wait…”
  • “Someone else probably will handle that question…”

Many times, it is the action of the leader that can begin positive momentum within their team/company. Action can help initiate great momentum. Inaction can end up causing you and your team to stall out. John Maxwell says:

“If you’ve got all the passion, tools, and people you need to fulfill a great vision, yet you can’t seem to get your organization moving and going in the right direction, you’re dead in the water as a leader. If you can’t get things going (ACTION), you will not succeed.” (from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership)

So today, when facing a decision, ACT. Get things moving. Get your team moving. ACT.

“Leaders always find a way to make things happen.” John Maxwell