Good Morning!
2010 is quickly drawing to a close...and what it afforded us will soon be memories...some of them good and some not so good!
As we enter 2011, and we vow to make it a better year...
Success advocates will be reminding you of how important it is not to carry any baggage from the past into it...or...
Is it?
Should we carry that past baggage into next year?
This thought is intriguing!
I like seeing through the fluff of the "snake oil" sales people...
This may be one of those things in which they are selling you what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear!
Let's listen to what we need to hear before it is too late!
******************************************
When combined with our tradition of New Year's Resolutions, it makes me think that there may be some worthwhile baggage that we need to carry...
Although you may not believe it...
Our the broken promises, resolutions...AND our failures!
That sounds pretty depressing and those experts who are trying to sell you a success placebo will argue!
Let's look at the facts!
Successful individuals do not quit trying...they do not give up on those things that they know are right...
They persist until they achieve what they envision...
With ongoing persistence...they resolve to improve their lot in life and set goals...
They know their mission and align tasks to them...
Some of these goals may not be achievable...on the first go around...but they do not quit!
*******************************************
Take a moment to reflect on the resolutions of the past...
Especially those resolutions that you failed to accomplish...
I am amused by people who...when creating their list of resolutions...exclude those that they failed on in the past...
"I tried that one...not going to do that again"
Nothing worth having comes easily...
Perhaps...you already have a list of resolutions...
It is simply those that you failed to achieve in the past!
I know that my list...if it consists only of my past failures...would be longer than any list that I could generate in the few remaining hours of this year!
Why not resolve to achieve your past failures!
******************************************
I was listening to an interview with a high school football coach that said...
"The Pro-Bowl performances are created at half-time!"
Half-Time is an interesting concept...
The first half of the game is played and then everyone leaves the field and licks their wounds and re-energizes or admits defeat!
The coach has assessed the opposition for their weaknesses and adjusts the plan...
Half-Time is a time for rest...
We are given many Half-Times...New Year's is an official Half-Time!
Are you licking your wounds?
Are you going to admit defeat?
Have you assessed your opponent?
Have you resolved to win?
Are you going to change your plays?
2011 has some weaknesses...
There are holes in the defensive line...
2011 is in the locker room too!
Make no mistake...It is planning how it is going to beat you!
It has as much to win as you have losing!
You will never defeat it unless you learn for the first half...
That baggage that I referenced is important to success...
********************************************
As you resolve...
Look at your past failures in a different perspective...
I can almost hear you saying...
"That was a great resolution...this year I am going to do it!"
Just because you missed the pass the last time you tried that play...doesn't mean that it didn't have the potential of a touchdown!
If every failed play in football was never repeated...there ultimately would be no plays...
If people never tried and tried again...
You get the picture...
*********************************************
Happy New Year!
Resolve to not repeat the failures of the past...
Not by failing at what you attempt...but
By succeeding at what you tried and failed at!
There is open field between you and the goal line!
Catch the ball this time and run like the wind!
Pura Vida!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Do you use your cellphone as a flashlight?
Good Morning!
You know how I love researching things...
One of my passions is discovering why things happen the way that they do...
An important part of researching stuff is researching things that are of value ...
Even the most trivial discoveries often lead to great insights...
My week is successful when I achieve deeper insight into some aspect of my life...
This week for me was just that...!
*********************************
It started when I was walking by a phone kiosk and I overheard a conversation between two potential phone buyers and salespeople...
One of the customers was holding a phone and looking at the screen...
"Is this all the brighter it goes?" She asked...
The sales person took the phone and "maxed" it out and handed it back to her...
"This one won't do...I need a brighter one...I use my phone as a flashlight..." The customer criticized...
The other customer (who was looking at the same phone) picked up on the conversation and interjected...
"So do I!" and quickly handed the phone back to their salesperson...
Over the next few minutes I watched (intrigued) as the two worked together to find the phone which made the best flashlight!
***********************************
What caught was these peoples' use of "utility"
and how creative and adaptive people actually are!
I had to admit that I routinely use my cellphone as a flashlight...in fact multiple times during the day (night)...
Yet I never made a buying decision based upon its ability to be a great flashlight...
Images of "Swiss Army Knives" entered my thoughts...
I wondered how many people actually use their phones as flashlights...
I set out to get an answer...
***********************************
I sent a series of questions (randomly) to over 2,000 contacts...
And...began asking people (who I didn't know) in check-out lines and at stores...
Questions like...
"Do you use your cellphone as a flashlight?"
"Do you own a real flashlight?"
"How frequently do you use your phone as a flashlight?"
"What do you use your phone to do?"
************************************
I found that more people use their phones for flashlights (although less frequently) than any of the other intended functions...
9 out of 10 people have used or routinely use their phones as flashlights...
6 out of 10 use their phones for text messaging...
8 out of 10 use their phone as a regular phone...
4 out of 10 for Internet access...
and their is a list of other functions...but you get the gist of it...
************************************
I then went out to see if the phone sales websites mentioned their phone's flashlight capability...
NONE!
I dug out the manuals for the 4 or 5 different models that my family uses and found that none of the directions include how to use the phone as a flashlight...
Yet most of us do use them for that!
************************************
Companies should be aware of this use...(I bet they are...)
Because I observed buying decisions made on that single characteristic...it is not a rare event!
Do you use your phone as a flashlight?
Why...
The answer is that...I have the phone with me...I do not carry a flashlight...
Utility!
************************************
We have all (9 out of 10 of us) found that optional use...and quickly and routinely use it
The human species is interesting...
"I need light...the phone generates light...I will use the phone to generate light!"
************************************
We are fantastically adaptive in many trivial things...yet we find ourselves hand-cuffed and disabled in life's challenges...when the pressure is on...we forget that their are alternative and creative answers...
The interesting thing about finding those answers...is that they are often hiding in plain sight!
We find ourselves walking around in the dark...looking for the flashlight...rather than using what is right at hand!
************************************
I learned much about myself with this bit if research and observation...
and it invigorated me!
The king of paradigm identification and barrier busting is often guilty of falling prey to them!
I decided that I need to begin treating my life more openly and use my inherent creative adaptations to problem solving...
What about you?
Are you extremely creative and adaptive in trivial situations and narrow when things appear important...
Perhaps the reverse is how we should be living...
***********************************
Do you use your phone as a flashlight?
Where else to you adapt that ability?
Pura Vida!
You know how I love researching things...
One of my passions is discovering why things happen the way that they do...
An important part of researching stuff is researching things that are of value ...
Even the most trivial discoveries often lead to great insights...
My week is successful when I achieve deeper insight into some aspect of my life...
This week for me was just that...!
*********************************
It started when I was walking by a phone kiosk and I overheard a conversation between two potential phone buyers and salespeople...
One of the customers was holding a phone and looking at the screen...
"Is this all the brighter it goes?" She asked...
The sales person took the phone and "maxed" it out and handed it back to her...
"This one won't do...I need a brighter one...I use my phone as a flashlight..." The customer criticized...
The other customer (who was looking at the same phone) picked up on the conversation and interjected...
"So do I!" and quickly handed the phone back to their salesperson...
Over the next few minutes I watched (intrigued) as the two worked together to find the phone which made the best flashlight!
***********************************
What caught was these peoples' use of "utility"
and how creative and adaptive people actually are!
I had to admit that I routinely use my cellphone as a flashlight...in fact multiple times during the day (night)...
Yet I never made a buying decision based upon its ability to be a great flashlight...
Images of "Swiss Army Knives" entered my thoughts...
I wondered how many people actually use their phones as flashlights...
I set out to get an answer...
***********************************
I sent a series of questions (randomly) to over 2,000 contacts...
And...began asking people (who I didn't know) in check-out lines and at stores...
Questions like...
"Do you use your cellphone as a flashlight?"
"Do you own a real flashlight?"
"How frequently do you use your phone as a flashlight?"
"What do you use your phone to do?"
************************************
I found that more people use their phones for flashlights (although less frequently) than any of the other intended functions...
9 out of 10 people have used or routinely use their phones as flashlights...
6 out of 10 use their phones for text messaging...
8 out of 10 use their phone as a regular phone...
4 out of 10 for Internet access...
and their is a list of other functions...but you get the gist of it...
************************************
I then went out to see if the phone sales websites mentioned their phone's flashlight capability...
NONE!
I dug out the manuals for the 4 or 5 different models that my family uses and found that none of the directions include how to use the phone as a flashlight...
Yet most of us do use them for that!
************************************
Companies should be aware of this use...(I bet they are...)
Because I observed buying decisions made on that single characteristic...it is not a rare event!
Do you use your phone as a flashlight?
Why...
The answer is that...I have the phone with me...I do not carry a flashlight...
Utility!
************************************
We have all (9 out of 10 of us) found that optional use...and quickly and routinely use it
The human species is interesting...
"I need light...the phone generates light...I will use the phone to generate light!"
************************************
We are fantastically adaptive in many trivial things...yet we find ourselves hand-cuffed and disabled in life's challenges...when the pressure is on...we forget that their are alternative and creative answers...
The interesting thing about finding those answers...is that they are often hiding in plain sight!
We find ourselves walking around in the dark...looking for the flashlight...rather than using what is right at hand!
************************************
I learned much about myself with this bit if research and observation...
and it invigorated me!
The king of paradigm identification and barrier busting is often guilty of falling prey to them!
I decided that I need to begin treating my life more openly and use my inherent creative adaptations to problem solving...
What about you?
Are you extremely creative and adaptive in trivial situations and narrow when things appear important...
Perhaps the reverse is how we should be living...
***********************************
Do you use your phone as a flashlight?
Where else to you adapt that ability?
Pura Vida!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
You Get What You Work For...or...Do you?
Good Morning!
I bet that your week has been full of challenges...some successful and others...
Hopefully you have been left with questions...like...
"What did I do to deserve this?"
As I reflect on my week...I realized that I should not only be asking this question when things did not go the way that I thought...
But also when things did go the way I planned or even when they surpassed my expectations...
Do you question every effort and accomplishment, their status, and your intentions and performance on a weekly basis?
If not...you are simply putting your success in the hands of the randomness of life...
*************************************
There are a ton of advocates of visioning and plans...
I see literally hundreds of quotes, per week, on Twitter that emphasize the importance of plans in relation to goals (dreams)...and secrets of success and all of it focused on a person's mindset...
Goals and plans are great...but neither get a person any closer to success...without action...
AND...
Action is meaningless if it is not controlled...
Consider the uncontrolled energy expended (and the subsequent results) related to a nuclear explosion!
Although the intent of the explosion is achieved...its ultimate goal...
It is only destructive...although their may be political justifications for such use...it remains totally destructive...
When that same energy is controlled and directed...the results are amazing!
We live as comfortably as we do because of the control afforded by reactors...and the harnessing of energy far beyond that of a nuclear explosion...
To a great extent...Our lives are like that...
We can achieve critical mass...
There are two paths at that juncture...
One that leads to total destruction and the other that leads to unimaginable construction!
Without constant monitoring...that energy channels (naturally) towards the destructive end of the spectrum...
Without control...the energy is wasted...or worse...destroys...
A person must constantly question every activity and control it...otherwise...
That individual will wake up asking..."What have I done to deserve this?"
*************************************
Life is not a short-term proposition...
It is to be faced head-on and addressed in the long-run...
A simple way to achieve success is to focus on the long term goals...with persistent action...and consistent results...
The shorter the time frame...the higher the probability that you will not get what you are working towards...
This leads me to an interesting observation relative to success...
The interesting thing is that it is statistically supported...
Case in point...
In the short-run...when sampling...there is a higher probability of variation...
In the long-term...the probability of an individual (random) sample's value...tends to move towards the mean of the population...
What this means is that accuracy of prediction the results improves as the time frame from which the sample is drawn and the number of data points increases.
What we can learn from this is that if you find yourself failing more than succeeding...when combined with the randomness of life (relative to control)...adjust your expectations more realistically and put your goal further out (increase your time frame...) and put more data points (meaningful, directed and controlled activities) between where you are and your assessment (prediction or goal)...
Think about this...it is not black and white...
*************************************
It is a simple fact of life that until you are "out on your own"...and then a majority time this is not even true...that...
What you are given is a gift...in fact undeserved charity!
Someone has cut you slack or wants you to get more than you deserve because they see potential...
or...they simply like you!
Think about the extreme example of your mother...she sees the best in you when if she were not driven by a huge amount of hormones...she would have sent you to a foster home long ago!
She picks up after you...cooks for you...changes your diapers...forgives you for some terrible things...
You do not deserve her love and support...you are not entitled to it...
If you got what you deserved...relative to how you treated her...you should be serving time in a prison camp!
How often to you really show appreciation to her?
Mother's Day? Christmas? Her Birthday?
How often does she have to ask for the same things...over and over?
How often did you do something helpful...unsolicited?
Get real with yourself and face the fact that you lived a huge portion of your life on charity...
Enough of that!
Given this "fact"...a critical component of a successful person is appreciation for the charity that you have been given...
Up to the point that you earn everything that you have...and I mean really earn..not some jaded and self-deluded justification of your product or service...
You are no better than a thankless beggar...in fact...you are worse than someone who does live up to their commitment to "work for food!"
Your life and your paycheck is pure charity...most often because you did not really meet expectations (even though you have deluded yourself into believing you did fantastic) and got another chance...
Be honest...if your performance isn't original...earthshaking...or a world's record...it is simply common...with someone accepting it through a charitable action!
I have observed many people finding themselves in the unemployment ranks...asking "Why me?"...when other comparatively (from your perception) incompetent people are still employed by the same companies...
What did you do to deserve it?
In many cases...that plight was due to the individulal's lack of appreciation for the gifts and the charity that they had been given...
Think about it...
All things come with a cost...the answer to another question...puts things into perspective...
"What did I have to put up with to get what I needed?"
In many cases...the cost of doing business with some people is simply too high!
These are the people who get laid-off...
The simple fact is you are either an asset or a liability...
What are you?
What are the costs associated with keeping you around?
Perhaps it may be simply for entertainment purposes or someone to blame failure on!
Stop thinking that you have value!
***************************************
Another fact...
Getting laid-off is simply a nice way for a company to say..."You are fired!"
You have to come to grips with that fact and find out what was wrong with you...
But on the opposite side of the spectrum...you have to ask...
"Why am I still working?"
"Are you a major kiss-*&$?"
Are you simply an entertaining "intersection beggar?"
How much more charity can you get before they see who you really are?
Do you really work for food?
Do you really fulfill your commitments?
Are you giving the company what they want without messing with the data...and lying to hold on to your job?
Realize that you are on the lay-off list...your time to be fired will come to...
It doesn't matter where you are in life...
You need to be asking yourself..."What is wrong with me?"
AND you need to do something about it!
*************************************
Like Michelangelo...
The statue of David resides within the block of stone...it is up to you to get it out!
How?
You need to chip away at that block of marble...taking away everything that is not David...until at last you are left with the masterpiece!
It is all of the baggage that you carry that stands between you and a masterpiece!
Rest assured...in the long run...
You will ultimately get what you work for...or what you do not work for!
If you do not chop at your life...there may be a masterpiece may still be hidden within...but it will not be visible or real...
Some people are afraid to chop because it will expose what a fraud and failure they really are...(there is no masterpiece!)
Rest Assured...
People will lose their patience and give you what you really deserve!
Then you have to move on...seeking other opportunities...
The cool thing about this is that in the age of the internet...
News travels fast...and who then is going to trust you?
If you are not working..."What's wrong with you?"
If you are still working..."What's wrong with you?
It is a narrow path that one must walk to be successful...and it requires effort to stay on that path!
Visioning...dreaming...planning..."Secrets"...are all well and good...but the fact of the matter is...
It is YOU who needs to walk...
Stop standing on the corner and begging...
You don't deserve anything...
*****************************************
I enjoy asking myself the hard questions...and you should too!
If you are afraid to see who you really are and what little, you are truly capable of doing...then you will never get out of the ranks of beggar...and will live your life jumping from "fool to fool!"
That too will come to an end...
Grab your bucket...put on that orange vest and find a busy intersection...
Or...
Find a piece of cardboard and a permanent marker and write..."Will work for food..."
Success looks for no charity...
It only takes what it deserves...and earns...
It does not look for something for nothing...there is no entitlement in charity...
It holds a sign that says..."Will work for what I get!"
and it holds true to its commitments!
It show appreciation and strives to repay every good act done to them...
No excuses...
Truly successful people get what they work for and still count all of it a gift and a blessing!
Be among the truly successful people...
Stop sitting around thinking that you deserve anything...the truth is...you don't...good or bad!
Pura Vida!
I bet that your week has been full of challenges...some successful and others...
Hopefully you have been left with questions...like...
"What did I do to deserve this?"
As I reflect on my week...I realized that I should not only be asking this question when things did not go the way that I thought...
But also when things did go the way I planned or even when they surpassed my expectations...
Do you question every effort and accomplishment, their status, and your intentions and performance on a weekly basis?
If not...you are simply putting your success in the hands of the randomness of life...
*************************************
There are a ton of advocates of visioning and plans...
I see literally hundreds of quotes, per week, on Twitter that emphasize the importance of plans in relation to goals (dreams)...and secrets of success and all of it focused on a person's mindset...
Goals and plans are great...but neither get a person any closer to success...without action...
AND...
Action is meaningless if it is not controlled...
Consider the uncontrolled energy expended (and the subsequent results) related to a nuclear explosion!
Although the intent of the explosion is achieved...its ultimate goal...
It is only destructive...although their may be political justifications for such use...it remains totally destructive...
When that same energy is controlled and directed...the results are amazing!
We live as comfortably as we do because of the control afforded by reactors...and the harnessing of energy far beyond that of a nuclear explosion...
To a great extent...Our lives are like that...
We can achieve critical mass...
There are two paths at that juncture...
One that leads to total destruction and the other that leads to unimaginable construction!
Without constant monitoring...that energy channels (naturally) towards the destructive end of the spectrum...
Without control...the energy is wasted...or worse...destroys...
A person must constantly question every activity and control it...otherwise...
That individual will wake up asking..."What have I done to deserve this?"
*************************************
Life is not a short-term proposition...
It is to be faced head-on and addressed in the long-run...
A simple way to achieve success is to focus on the long term goals...with persistent action...and consistent results...
The shorter the time frame...the higher the probability that you will not get what you are working towards...
This leads me to an interesting observation relative to success...
The interesting thing is that it is statistically supported...
Case in point...
In the short-run...when sampling...there is a higher probability of variation...
In the long-term...the probability of an individual (random) sample's value...tends to move towards the mean of the population...
What this means is that accuracy of prediction the results improves as the time frame from which the sample is drawn and the number of data points increases.
What we can learn from this is that if you find yourself failing more than succeeding...when combined with the randomness of life (relative to control)...adjust your expectations more realistically and put your goal further out (increase your time frame...) and put more data points (meaningful, directed and controlled activities) between where you are and your assessment (prediction or goal)...
Think about this...it is not black and white...
*************************************
It is a simple fact of life that until you are "out on your own"...and then a majority time this is not even true...that...
What you are given is a gift...in fact undeserved charity!
Someone has cut you slack or wants you to get more than you deserve because they see potential...
or...they simply like you!
Think about the extreme example of your mother...she sees the best in you when if she were not driven by a huge amount of hormones...she would have sent you to a foster home long ago!
She picks up after you...cooks for you...changes your diapers...forgives you for some terrible things...
You do not deserve her love and support...you are not entitled to it...
If you got what you deserved...relative to how you treated her...you should be serving time in a prison camp!
How often to you really show appreciation to her?
Mother's Day? Christmas? Her Birthday?
How often does she have to ask for the same things...over and over?
How often did you do something helpful...unsolicited?
Get real with yourself and face the fact that you lived a huge portion of your life on charity...
Enough of that!
Given this "fact"...a critical component of a successful person is appreciation for the charity that you have been given...
Up to the point that you earn everything that you have...and I mean really earn..not some jaded and self-deluded justification of your product or service...
You are no better than a thankless beggar...in fact...you are worse than someone who does live up to their commitment to "work for food!"
Your life and your paycheck is pure charity...most often because you did not really meet expectations (even though you have deluded yourself into believing you did fantastic) and got another chance...
Be honest...if your performance isn't original...earthshaking...or a world's record...it is simply common...with someone accepting it through a charitable action!
I have observed many people finding themselves in the unemployment ranks...asking "Why me?"...when other comparatively (from your perception) incompetent people are still employed by the same companies...
What did you do to deserve it?
In many cases...that plight was due to the individulal's lack of appreciation for the gifts and the charity that they had been given...
Think about it...
All things come with a cost...the answer to another question...puts things into perspective...
"What did I have to put up with to get what I needed?"
In many cases...the cost of doing business with some people is simply too high!
These are the people who get laid-off...
The simple fact is you are either an asset or a liability...
What are you?
What are the costs associated with keeping you around?
Perhaps it may be simply for entertainment purposes or someone to blame failure on!
Stop thinking that you have value!
***************************************
Another fact...
Getting laid-off is simply a nice way for a company to say..."You are fired!"
You have to come to grips with that fact and find out what was wrong with you...
But on the opposite side of the spectrum...you have to ask...
"Why am I still working?"
"Are you a major kiss-*&$?"
Are you simply an entertaining "intersection beggar?"
How much more charity can you get before they see who you really are?
Do you really work for food?
Do you really fulfill your commitments?
Are you giving the company what they want without messing with the data...and lying to hold on to your job?
Realize that you are on the lay-off list...your time to be fired will come to...
It doesn't matter where you are in life...
You need to be asking yourself..."What is wrong with me?"
AND you need to do something about it!
*************************************
Like Michelangelo...
The statue of David resides within the block of stone...it is up to you to get it out!
How?
You need to chip away at that block of marble...taking away everything that is not David...until at last you are left with the masterpiece!
It is all of the baggage that you carry that stands between you and a masterpiece!
Rest assured...in the long run...
You will ultimately get what you work for...or what you do not work for!
If you do not chop at your life...there may be a masterpiece may still be hidden within...but it will not be visible or real...
Some people are afraid to chop because it will expose what a fraud and failure they really are...(there is no masterpiece!)
Rest Assured...
People will lose their patience and give you what you really deserve!
Then you have to move on...seeking other opportunities...
The cool thing about this is that in the age of the internet...
News travels fast...and who then is going to trust you?
If you are not working..."What's wrong with you?"
If you are still working..."What's wrong with you?
It is a narrow path that one must walk to be successful...and it requires effort to stay on that path!
Visioning...dreaming...planning..."Secrets"...are all well and good...but the fact of the matter is...
It is YOU who needs to walk...
Stop standing on the corner and begging...
You don't deserve anything...
*****************************************
I enjoy asking myself the hard questions...and you should too!
If you are afraid to see who you really are and what little, you are truly capable of doing...then you will never get out of the ranks of beggar...and will live your life jumping from "fool to fool!"
That too will come to an end...
Grab your bucket...put on that orange vest and find a busy intersection...
Or...
Find a piece of cardboard and a permanent marker and write..."Will work for food..."
Success looks for no charity...
It only takes what it deserves...and earns...
It does not look for something for nothing...there is no entitlement in charity...
It holds a sign that says..."Will work for what I get!"
and it holds true to its commitments!
It show appreciation and strives to repay every good act done to them...
No excuses...
Truly successful people get what they work for and still count all of it a gift and a blessing!
Be among the truly successful people...
Stop sitting around thinking that you deserve anything...the truth is...you don't...good or bad!
Pura Vida!
Friday, December 10, 2010
The Lost Gift...
Good Morning...
This week has been interesting for me...
I found myself in situations in which the "right attitude and right behavior" was simply to focus and accomplish the tasks related to my commitments...
I also found that I had to find ways to be excited about doing those things that I normally find mundane and boring!
If these things were going to get done...the only person that accomplishing these things depended upon was me!
There was no one else I could depend upon for help...or blame it on for failure!
I told myself..."If you want it...go and get it...if you don't then stop worrying about it!
We'll come back to this...
******************************
This week...I stood, helplessly watching, on the sidelines, as many undeserving people were put into situations that they didn't deserve to be put in..."the unemployment ranks"
Poor company performance created a situation in which there was a huge lay-off...
I have never been able to come to grips on how lay-off decisions are made...
I see many of the most dedicated and hardest working people lose their employment,,,while "dishonest, shirkers" keep their jobs and paychecks...
I have been there! I have been a victim too...early in my career...I was also one that breathed a sign of relief when I was on the other list!
This situation solidified my understanding of the randomness of life...as much as "you get what you deserve" holds true...the "flip-side" is equally true...many people "didn't get what they deserve..."
With that in mind...What do we actions and expectations do we hold true to?
What becomes our guiding principals?
If life can be expected to be fair and the impact seems random...what path to success do we choose?
Doesn't there need to be someone that we need to blame it on?
*************************************
The holiday season emphasizes a characteristic of humans that really interests me...
We are constantly on a search to re-live the feelings of our "firsts..."
We vividly can recall the feelings of our first holiday experience...such as our "first Christmas."
The awe, wonder and excitement is unmatched in any of our subsequent celebrations...yet we try!
As the event passes...we are reminded how hollow the last experience was compared to the one we remember and romanticize...then we vow to make the next one like our first...
AND...we spend more money and drive ourselves crazy trying to re-create that first...
Our first kiss...
Our first Christmas...
Our first love...
We waste our lives...trying to go back in time...rather than enjoying the present...
As of the writing of this article...time travel is still considered impossible by the scientific community...
I wonder why we try so hard and waste so much money...
The fact of the matter is...no matter how disappointing, mundane or boring it is...that is the way it is!
The feelings of the past can not be recaptured...
A person can only learn to makes the most what they have and find a way to enjoy it!
A person must find excitement in what they have at hand...
The real problem that people are attempting to address is the level of excitement that they want...
Life tends to numb us to excitement!
Much the same way that a person taking narcotics has to increase the dosage to get the same "high!"
If these things were going to be exciting...the only person that can obtain and experience that excitement was me!
There was no one else or anything that I could depend upon for excitement...or blame my boredom on for lack thereof!
I told myself..."If you want it...go and get it...if you don't then stop worrying about it!
*********************************************
Question: What is a critical aspect of real leadership?
Answer: The strict adherence to support of his people in good or bad!
When a person shows avoidance behaviors related bad situations...they lack a basic leadership skill...
If a leader is only present for the good...and disappears or has other commitments that takes them away from difficult or uncomfortable situations...they are not a leader...they are a user...or even worse a loser...
Do not allow yourself to be lead by an individual like that AND definitely strive not to be like that!
This is a character flaw that can't ever be trusted...
If you are a leader or manager of people and you avoid...then get out or change immediately!
Stick by your commitments...when the bad things happen...by all means...be there for them...no matter what arrangements need to be changed!
If you are going to be a leader...the only person that do it is you!
There was no one else you can depend upon for leadership...or blame your lack of leadership ability!
Tell yourself..."If you want it...go and get it...if you don't then stop avoiding it!
Leadership is a..."for better or worse" proposition...avoiding "the worse" is avoiding more than half of the leadership equation...
It is like a marathon running stopping halfway through the race because the second half hurts!
You'll never finish a race with that behavior!
As a leader...you'll never finish the race...
Enough Said!
**************************************
If something is important or precious to you...you will guard it with everything you have...
The only person to blame for that thing being gone is the person who was given the gift...
We have lost the gift of excitement....despite of how precious it was to us...we neglected to guard it...
It is gone and no matter how hard we look or how much money we spend...it will never again be found!
We have lost our loves...and the same holds true...it can not be found again!
We have lost people important to us...
Many have lost the ability to lead...
and guess what?
The only person that we have to blame is ourselves!
The best that we can do is to find what we are looking for it what remains...and to be happy with it!
Have a great weekend...
Pura Vida!
This week has been interesting for me...
I found myself in situations in which the "right attitude and right behavior" was simply to focus and accomplish the tasks related to my commitments...
I also found that I had to find ways to be excited about doing those things that I normally find mundane and boring!
If these things were going to get done...the only person that accomplishing these things depended upon was me!
There was no one else I could depend upon for help...or blame it on for failure!
I told myself..."If you want it...go and get it...if you don't then stop worrying about it!
We'll come back to this...
******************************
This week...I stood, helplessly watching, on the sidelines, as many undeserving people were put into situations that they didn't deserve to be put in..."the unemployment ranks"
Poor company performance created a situation in which there was a huge lay-off...
I have never been able to come to grips on how lay-off decisions are made...
I see many of the most dedicated and hardest working people lose their employment,,,while "dishonest, shirkers" keep their jobs and paychecks...
I have been there! I have been a victim too...early in my career...I was also one that breathed a sign of relief when I was on the other list!
This situation solidified my understanding of the randomness of life...as much as "you get what you deserve" holds true...the "flip-side" is equally true...many people "didn't get what they deserve..."
With that in mind...What do we actions and expectations do we hold true to?
What becomes our guiding principals?
If life can be expected to be fair and the impact seems random...what path to success do we choose?
Doesn't there need to be someone that we need to blame it on?
I told myself..."If you want it...go and get it...if you don't then stop worrying about it!
We'll come back to this...
*************************************
The holiday season emphasizes a characteristic of humans that really interests me...
We are constantly on a search to re-live the feelings of our "firsts..."
We vividly can recall the feelings of our first holiday experience...such as our "first Christmas."
The awe, wonder and excitement is unmatched in any of our subsequent celebrations...yet we try!
As the event passes...we are reminded how hollow the last experience was compared to the one we remember and romanticize...then we vow to make the next one like our first...
AND...we spend more money and drive ourselves crazy trying to re-create that first...
Our first kiss...
Our first Christmas...
Our first love...
We waste our lives...trying to go back in time...rather than enjoying the present...
As of the writing of this article...time travel is still considered impossible by the scientific community...
I wonder why we try so hard and waste so much money...
The fact of the matter is...no matter how disappointing, mundane or boring it is...that is the way it is!
The feelings of the past can not be recaptured...
A person can only learn to makes the most what they have and find a way to enjoy it!
A person must find excitement in what they have at hand...
The real problem that people are attempting to address is the level of excitement that they want...
Life tends to numb us to excitement!
Much the same way that a person taking narcotics has to increase the dosage to get the same "high!"
If these things were going to be exciting...the only person that can obtain and experience that excitement was me!
There was no one else or anything that I could depend upon for excitement...or blame my boredom on for lack thereof!
I told myself..."If you want it...go and get it...if you don't then stop worrying about it!
*********************************************
Question: What is a critical aspect of real leadership?
Answer: The strict adherence to support of his people in good or bad!
When a person shows avoidance behaviors related bad situations...they lack a basic leadership skill...
If a leader is only present for the good...and disappears or has other commitments that takes them away from difficult or uncomfortable situations...they are not a leader...they are a user...or even worse a loser...
Do not allow yourself to be lead by an individual like that AND definitely strive not to be like that!
This is a character flaw that can't ever be trusted...
If you are a leader or manager of people and you avoid...then get out or change immediately!
Stick by your commitments...when the bad things happen...by all means...be there for them...no matter what arrangements need to be changed!
If you are going to be a leader...the only person that do it is you!
There was no one else you can depend upon for leadership...or blame your lack of leadership ability!
Tell yourself..."If you want it...go and get it...if you don't then stop avoiding it!
Leadership is a..."for better or worse" proposition...avoiding "the worse" is avoiding more than half of the leadership equation...
It is like a marathon running stopping halfway through the race because the second half hurts!
You'll never finish a race with that behavior!
As a leader...you'll never finish the race...
Enough Said!
**************************************
If something is important or precious to you...you will guard it with everything you have...
The only person to blame for that thing being gone is the person who was given the gift...
We have lost the gift of excitement....despite of how precious it was to us...we neglected to guard it...
It is gone and no matter how hard we look or how much money we spend...it will never again be found!
We have lost our loves...and the same holds true...it can not be found again!
We have lost people important to us...
Many have lost the ability to lead...
and guess what?
The only person that we have to blame is ourselves!
The best that we can do is to find what we are looking for it what remains...and to be happy with it!
Have a great weekend...
Pura Vida!
Friday, December 3, 2010
A Realistic View of Loyalty
Good Morning...
How was your week?
What is your standing in the race?
How about those around you?
Especially your team mates?
I have written of the many similarities between life and races...
This week...I have been thinking about the Tour de France...
There are so many parallels between it and organizational behaviors...
The race starts with teams of riders...each team having a team leader...
Initially, the teams work together with a focus on the leader...
The leader is the individual rider who has the best chance of winning the overall race...
The team also has "domestiques" who are riders who carry the load for the team. These riders get water and food...and they buffet the wind...helping the leader conserve energy. It is seemingly a thankless job...yet the winners owe their victory to them and often show extreme loyalty to them.
Other members of the team include those who are significantly better at time trials or mountain climbing or sprinting...
They are there to win individual honors within the 2000 mile journey...
Whenever their chance to shine arises...the team rises to the occasion...that is if the team leader's position is not compromised by their success...
The team's support is guided by an overriding focus upon and loyalty to the team leader...
That is until that leader has no hope of winning the overall race...(general classification)
...then the team literally breaks down and it becomes a race of "every rider for them self"...
Loyalty to the leader erodes...loyalty to the team erodes...
It makes one wonder whether there is such a thing as loyalty...or if it ever existed in the first place...
******************************
I got into an interesting discussion with a friend about unconditional love...
I do not believe that it exists within the human portion of society...
We tend to romanticize that it exists...but I can cite conditions in which even the strongest love in this world would fail!
"But what about forgiveness?" you may ask...
Forgiving a significant breach in loyalty is just plain foolishness...
Breaches of disloyalty are intentional...a matter of decision...generally (as I think about it...always) driven from a self-serving motive...it unveils the true character of an individual!
Why forgive someone like that!
I believe in forgive and forget...
But I believe that these are options...not a process!
One either is a fool and forgives...or they simply forget that this individual exists!
*************************************
Interesting perspectives?
I have always been intrigued by an organization's demand of loyalty from its employees....
I have yet to find an organization who has been loyal to its employees...
An organization is loyal to its employees as long as it is profitable...
STOP for a minute! This is actually a contradiction!
Loyalty is earned and never bought...it is unconditional...right?
In actuality organizational loyalty is a facade created to reduce employee turn-over and reduce risk...
It is only meant to make (save) money and reduce risk!
It is business pure and simple...
Let me say it again...I have yet to see an organization (especially a publicly traded one) that lived up to the standard that it demanded of its individual members (employees)...
Bar-none...at the first threat of not meeting its financial goals...it turns its back on their loyal employees...it eliminates the "perks" and downsizes...lays people off...in numbers usually large enough that the quarterly objectives are met and bonuses are paid to a meager few!
The bottom-line of organizational loyalty is that it is out the window, when the revenue flow decreases!
So let's think about this a little deeper...loyalty is earned and it is a "two-way street"
It can not be bought or demanded...
And it can not rightfully be one-sided...
One has to ask...is there really such thing as organizational loyalty...
WAIT...let's define loyalty before we go any deeper...
Loyalty is an absolutely consistent and non-compromising behavior where the best interests of one is afforded priority over the interests of another individual (the one in control).
More simply stated loyalty is the trust between individuals (or parties) such that their interests will be given priority over the others interests with absolute consistency.
Now, let's return to our thoughts!
Given that definition...an organization never has loyalty...it has to look out for its own well-being...
The question that haunts me..."Why should employees be loyal to something that will never be loyal in return?"
That is insane!
Let's carry this insanity a bit further!
Why do we give two-week notices?
Have you ever seen someone fired with a two-week notice?
They can walk you out on a moment's notice...
Many will respond...It is the professional and courteous thing to do...WHY?
They won't do it for you!
************************************
I have yet to see an instance where the problems that caused an organization's need to downsize...be that of the "low-level" employees...
Without fail...the collapse of an organization is the result of poor and irresponsible leadership, incompetent and selfish management...
This is what intrigues me...
Who suffers for the incompetence?
Not the ones who are to blame for the downsizing...
They keep their jobs and their paychecks and more often than not...get a bonus!
They are the ones who continue to draw a salary until someone needs to turn off the lights...
The ones who are laid off and hurt are the innocent ones...
It makes sense to me that the ones who should be sitting in the unemployment lines are the ones who messed up the company...
The ones who should continue to receive their paychecks are the ones who did their jobs...
Doesn't that make sense to you?
I ran this thought past a friend who said that retention of leadership has nothing to do with who is to blame for the problems...but is rooted in the old tradition of the captain going down with his ship!
He said that the captains of these organizational ships should go down with them...it is only right!
During our discussion...it came to me that the demand that a "captain go down with his ship" had nothing to do with longevity...and holding the position until the bitter end...
It was a death sentence to the leader for the failure!
Every passenger could get off the boat safely...but if the ship is sinking...it is the captain's responsibility and he pays the price!
Since there is no death sentence for organizational failure...
Downsizing the staff should be based on performance...
Fire the incompetent individuals who got the organization in that position in the first place...
The organization's situation is either the result of incompetent leadership or intentional (narrow sighted and self-serving) decisions...either case is cause for termination!
If a "low-level" employee was guilty of that...they would be met at the door! Why does leadership get to sit in their offices and continue to live at their means...while the innocent has to worry about paying for their holiday gifts?
Any leader that refuses to do that...should themselves be fired!
***********************************************
The 21st century leader runs an organization under these terms...
If an individual performs they have a job and pay...if they do not...they seek other opportunities!
One must act ethically, morally and legally...above all reproof...contributing value above their cost...
This is the most honest that a 21st century organization can be...and if that is done with consistency and integrity...
Turn-over will occur only with incompetent people (terminations) and the rest will be able to trust they will have a job as long as they are working!
No more need for the facade!
AND no more need for lay-offs and downsizing...
It is all about customer focus and "the genius of the and"...
If the customer's needs are truly at the forefront of leadership's priorities...and the leadership acts consistently with its employees...the revenue will flow...
Focus on revenue flow will always compromise the customer and the employee!
It is "step two" in the organizational death spiral!
At this point there is no chance of return!
This ship is sinking!
If we are truly holding to the spirit of the captain's responsibility...
It is time for him to go down with that ship!
************************************
Where are we going with all of this?
Loyalty is an outdated concept...
It is not part of the 21st century...
Loyalty is a behavior that is to shared between individuals...it is a "one relationship at a time" thing...
There is no such thing as mass loyalty!
In fact...I have learned from my experience...that there is no such thing as loyalty...
I once thought that there were people that I could depend upon...
In all but a few cases...I was disappointed...actually my loyalty was betrayed by their lack of loyalty...
I discovered that I was lied to...to get my loyalty...and never repaid for my sacrifice!
The sad thing is that there will come a time...that these individuals will again try to play their loyalty card with me...
The sad thing is that they will find that it expired long ago...because of their own actions...
Forgive or forget?
I am not a fool and either should you be!
My advice...Just simply forget about them!
They do not deserve the time...
Where were they when you needed them?
I can answer that!
Simply looking out for their own self-serving needs...rather than living up to their hollow commitments of loyalty which were...
To look out for your best interests...at the risk of their own! Knowing that you were looking out for theirs...better than they ever could!
****************************************
It is time to rethink the outdated concept of loyalty!
For a few lucky individuals...there are those who still deserve loyalty...but these individuals are rare!
They need to be cherished...
All others are simply a commodity...pay what you have to...to get what you need...and then throw them away!
They are going to do the same to you!
Just do not compromise your integrity and honesty...like they do...to get what you need...
Be straight-forward and forthright! Open and honest...
Don't stoop to treachery and deception and compromise like they do...
***************************************
One of the blessings bestowed upon the truly successful is the ability to peacefully sleep...
Never compromise that blessing...keep your heart and intent pure!
You'll never have anxiety or fear for what the morning will bring!
Sleep peacefully...
Pura Vida...my dear friends...
Sleep tonight in peace!
or
Change what needs to be changed so that you can do so!
How was your week?
What is your standing in the race?
How about those around you?
Especially your team mates?
I have written of the many similarities between life and races...
This week...I have been thinking about the Tour de France...
There are so many parallels between it and organizational behaviors...
The race starts with teams of riders...each team having a team leader...
Initially, the teams work together with a focus on the leader...
The leader is the individual rider who has the best chance of winning the overall race...
The team also has "domestiques" who are riders who carry the load for the team. These riders get water and food...and they buffet the wind...helping the leader conserve energy. It is seemingly a thankless job...yet the winners owe their victory to them and often show extreme loyalty to them.
Other members of the team include those who are significantly better at time trials or mountain climbing or sprinting...
They are there to win individual honors within the 2000 mile journey...
Whenever their chance to shine arises...the team rises to the occasion...that is if the team leader's position is not compromised by their success...
The team's support is guided by an overriding focus upon and loyalty to the team leader...
That is until that leader has no hope of winning the overall race...(general classification)
...then the team literally breaks down and it becomes a race of "every rider for them self"...
Loyalty to the leader erodes...loyalty to the team erodes...
It makes one wonder whether there is such a thing as loyalty...or if it ever existed in the first place...
******************************
I got into an interesting discussion with a friend about unconditional love...
I do not believe that it exists within the human portion of society...
We tend to romanticize that it exists...but I can cite conditions in which even the strongest love in this world would fail!
"But what about forgiveness?" you may ask...
Forgiving a significant breach in loyalty is just plain foolishness...
Breaches of disloyalty are intentional...a matter of decision...generally (as I think about it...always) driven from a self-serving motive...it unveils the true character of an individual!
Why forgive someone like that!
I believe in forgive and forget...
But I believe that these are options...not a process!
One either is a fool and forgives...or they simply forget that this individual exists!
*************************************
Interesting perspectives?
I have always been intrigued by an organization's demand of loyalty from its employees....
I have yet to find an organization who has been loyal to its employees...
An organization is loyal to its employees as long as it is profitable...
STOP for a minute! This is actually a contradiction!
Loyalty is earned and never bought...it is unconditional...right?
In actuality organizational loyalty is a facade created to reduce employee turn-over and reduce risk...
It is only meant to make (save) money and reduce risk!
It is business pure and simple...
Let me say it again...I have yet to see an organization (especially a publicly traded one) that lived up to the standard that it demanded of its individual members (employees)...
Bar-none...at the first threat of not meeting its financial goals...it turns its back on their loyal employees...it eliminates the "perks" and downsizes...lays people off...in numbers usually large enough that the quarterly objectives are met and bonuses are paid to a meager few!
The bottom-line of organizational loyalty is that it is out the window, when the revenue flow decreases!
So let's think about this a little deeper...loyalty is earned and it is a "two-way street"
It can not be bought or demanded...
And it can not rightfully be one-sided...
One has to ask...is there really such thing as organizational loyalty...
WAIT...let's define loyalty before we go any deeper...
Loyalty is an absolutely consistent and non-compromising behavior where the best interests of one is afforded priority over the interests of another individual (the one in control).
More simply stated loyalty is the trust between individuals (or parties) such that their interests will be given priority over the others interests with absolute consistency.
Now, let's return to our thoughts!
Given that definition...an organization never has loyalty...it has to look out for its own well-being...
The question that haunts me..."Why should employees be loyal to something that will never be loyal in return?"
That is insane!
Let's carry this insanity a bit further!
Why do we give two-week notices?
Have you ever seen someone fired with a two-week notice?
They can walk you out on a moment's notice...
Many will respond...It is the professional and courteous thing to do...WHY?
They won't do it for you!
************************************
I have yet to see an instance where the problems that caused an organization's need to downsize...be that of the "low-level" employees...
Without fail...the collapse of an organization is the result of poor and irresponsible leadership, incompetent and selfish management...
This is what intrigues me...
Who suffers for the incompetence?
Not the ones who are to blame for the downsizing...
They keep their jobs and their paychecks and more often than not...get a bonus!
They are the ones who continue to draw a salary until someone needs to turn off the lights...
The ones who are laid off and hurt are the innocent ones...
It makes sense to me that the ones who should be sitting in the unemployment lines are the ones who messed up the company...
The ones who should continue to receive their paychecks are the ones who did their jobs...
Doesn't that make sense to you?
I ran this thought past a friend who said that retention of leadership has nothing to do with who is to blame for the problems...but is rooted in the old tradition of the captain going down with his ship!
He said that the captains of these organizational ships should go down with them...it is only right!
During our discussion...it came to me that the demand that a "captain go down with his ship" had nothing to do with longevity...and holding the position until the bitter end...
It was a death sentence to the leader for the failure!
Every passenger could get off the boat safely...but if the ship is sinking...it is the captain's responsibility and he pays the price!
Since there is no death sentence for organizational failure...
Downsizing the staff should be based on performance...
Fire the incompetent individuals who got the organization in that position in the first place...
The organization's situation is either the result of incompetent leadership or intentional (narrow sighted and self-serving) decisions...either case is cause for termination!
If a "low-level" employee was guilty of that...they would be met at the door! Why does leadership get to sit in their offices and continue to live at their means...while the innocent has to worry about paying for their holiday gifts?
Any leader that refuses to do that...should themselves be fired!
***********************************************
The 21st century leader runs an organization under these terms...
If an individual performs they have a job and pay...if they do not...they seek other opportunities!
One must act ethically, morally and legally...above all reproof...contributing value above their cost...
This is the most honest that a 21st century organization can be...and if that is done with consistency and integrity...
Turn-over will occur only with incompetent people (terminations) and the rest will be able to trust they will have a job as long as they are working!
No more need for the facade!
AND no more need for lay-offs and downsizing...
It is all about customer focus and "the genius of the and"...
If the customer's needs are truly at the forefront of leadership's priorities...and the leadership acts consistently with its employees...the revenue will flow...
Focus on revenue flow will always compromise the customer and the employee!
It is "step two" in the organizational death spiral!
At this point there is no chance of return!
This ship is sinking!
If we are truly holding to the spirit of the captain's responsibility...
It is time for him to go down with that ship!
************************************
Where are we going with all of this?
Loyalty is an outdated concept...
It is not part of the 21st century...
Loyalty is a behavior that is to shared between individuals...it is a "one relationship at a time" thing...
There is no such thing as mass loyalty!
In fact...I have learned from my experience...that there is no such thing as loyalty...
I once thought that there were people that I could depend upon...
In all but a few cases...I was disappointed...actually my loyalty was betrayed by their lack of loyalty...
I discovered that I was lied to...to get my loyalty...and never repaid for my sacrifice!
The sad thing is that there will come a time...that these individuals will again try to play their loyalty card with me...
The sad thing is that they will find that it expired long ago...because of their own actions...
Forgive or forget?
I am not a fool and either should you be!
My advice...Just simply forget about them!
They do not deserve the time...
Where were they when you needed them?
I can answer that!
Simply looking out for their own self-serving needs...rather than living up to their hollow commitments of loyalty which were...
To look out for your best interests...at the risk of their own! Knowing that you were looking out for theirs...better than they ever could!
****************************************
It is time to rethink the outdated concept of loyalty!
For a few lucky individuals...there are those who still deserve loyalty...but these individuals are rare!
They need to be cherished...
All others are simply a commodity...pay what you have to...to get what you need...and then throw them away!
They are going to do the same to you!
Just do not compromise your integrity and honesty...like they do...to get what you need...
Be straight-forward and forthright! Open and honest...
Don't stoop to treachery and deception and compromise like they do...
***************************************
One of the blessings bestowed upon the truly successful is the ability to peacefully sleep...
Never compromise that blessing...keep your heart and intent pure!
You'll never have anxiety or fear for what the morning will bring!
Sleep peacefully...
Pura Vida...my dear friends...
Sleep tonight in peace!
or
Change what needs to be changed so that you can do so!
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