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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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Feeling Well Cuddled vs Doing Good Work

by Rick Baker
On Dec 16, 2016

In business, inspiration leads to doing good work.

Cuddling words may not promote good feelings, let alone good work.

Cuddling words may succeed in promoting good feelings while failing to promote good work.

When cuddling messages hit unreceptive ears they ring out of tune.

Sometimes words alone can inspire, however, this only happens when the words have a sincere and personal ring and the words are delivered with mastery.

When we relay and repeat cliché messages we do not relay cuddling feelings and we do not relay inspiration. For example, while you may feel cuddled or inspired while you deliver messages about integrity and workplace passion you will regularly miss the mark if you assume others will respond by feeling cuddled or becoming enthusiastic.

If you know of any instances where cuddled feelings or integrity of thought and action have been relayed by talking about them then create stories to explain those instances. Then, instead of talking about the concepts of integrity and workplace passion, relay those stories. That will increase the likelihood others will share your cuddled feelings and your enthusiasm.

Tags:

Communication: Improving Communication | Emotions & Feelings @ Work | Influencing | INSPIRE PEOPLE - GROW PROFITS!

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Growing with Self-insight

by Rick Baker
On Dec 14, 2016

How many times does your gut have to jolt you before you stop and think about what’s going on and determine what, if anything, you should do in response to your gut feelings? The range of your answers to these questions might surprise you. To get to those answers you will have to slow down then stop long enough and think deep enough about your gut feel and how you react to it when it jolts you.

A story:

Recently, I had a series of interpersonal exchanges that culminated in an eye-opening experience. I met a fellow. He was a buyer and I was a seller. Together, we were working to complete a purchase-and-sale deal. Our efforts to complete a deal occurred over a period of about 10 weeks. At our first meeting, the fellow commented on the shortfall of our product packaging. At least, that’s what I thought I heard. The next time we met and when I raised the topic of packaging the fellow told me I misunderstood his comment and, in fact, he was satisfied with our packaging. Then he mentioned he did not like our pricing and he specified a price range he could accept. We got back together a couple of weeks later and I presented new pricing, within his range. In response, the fellow told me I misunderstood his price range by about 10% and pricing would have to be altered to meet his desires or there would be no deal. At this point, I became quite curious about whether or not a deal actually could be done and I agreed to adjust our pricing to meet his range. With his price goal achieved he accepted the deal. We created paperwork to capture the key details of our agreement: one copy for him and one for us. He signed our copy but said there was no need to sign his copy. With our deal completed, we shook hands and parted company. One week later he wrote an apology note, confirming he had decided to purchase elsewhere for reasons way outside of anything we had discussed.

As these series of interactions unfolded, each time a misunderstanding was brought to my attention I experienced a little gut-feel jolt. I discounted each of my gut-feel jolts…accepting that it was possible I may have failed to pay attention or failed to remember those various pieces of conversation. Then, when the whole series of interactions ended, I stepped back to spend time thinking about my gut-feel jolts and I reached a different conclusion.

Now, my gut-feel jolts receive much more immediate attention and thorough thought. 

Tags:

Beyond Business | Emotions & Feelings @ Work | Thinking as in Think and Grow Rich

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10 Thoughts for Firing Good People

by Rick Baker
On Nov 16, 2016
  1. Fire when the cost of presence exceeds its value: that's on the self-serving end of things [...and that is one of the ends]
  2. Fire when bad habits violate master rules: have as few rules as possible; know where lines must be and will be drawn
  3. Fire when troubling attitudes become contagious: protect your Culture
  4. Fire when skills do not keep up with change: not ruthlessly; in planned ways...after training & education have been exhausted, without success
  5. Do it yourself, don't delegate your way out of it: it's about courage and confidence [...these are 'in action', one way or another, for both parties...choose the better course]
  6. Be concise, yet not rushed: no value in prolonging the stress [...and you better experience some stress, otherwise you are too accustomed to firing people and you will not handle it well]
  7. Be calm and clear, and not insensitive: expect emotional reactions and negative feedback and know exactly how you will not react poorly to it
  8. Be kind, and decisive: this is not a time for negotiation
  9. Be overly fair about money
  10. Help the person find a more-suitable job: remember, whenever you are firing people you are firing good people

Tags:

Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Change: Creating Positive Change | Communication: Improving Communication | Community | Criticism: Constructive Criticism is an Oxymoron | Emotions & Feelings @ Work | Habits: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things | Influencing | Master Rules | Pay! - a philosophy about money

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When you get even you become uneven.

by Rick Baker
On Oct 27, 2016

Competition is a wonderful thing.

And, competition has its limitations.

If you (or your ego) approach life as if it's a series of competitive interactions then, sooner or later, your self-confidence will begin to sour. The more your self-confidence sours the more other people will appear to be competitive. The more others appear competitive the more you will react competitively. Your life then becomes a 'vicious circle' of competition. And, under this 'vicious circle' your self-confidence sours to a point where you cannot obtain success or peace of mind.

Looking at it another way...

Self-confidence relies on constructive behaviour and positive energy.

If your competitive actions bolster your positive energy then you are engaged in productive competition.

If your competitive actions reduce your positive energy then you are engaged in destructive competition.

You can monitor your energy level and gauge whether or not your mindset is positive.

So, you can determine whether or not your competitive tendencies are bolstering or reducing your positive energy.

If you find your positive energy is shrinking…be more selective as you choose your battles…ease off competitive thoughts and actions until you restore your positive vigour.

Looking at it one more way...

When you must battle on all fronts at all times you become an ultimate loser.

And, when you place too much emphasis on getting even you become uneven.

Tags:

Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Emotions & Feelings @ Work | Thinking as in Think and Grow Rich

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‘Belief’ brings peace of mind, confidence & success

by Rick Baker
On Oct 13, 2016

Have you noticed when you truly believe something will happen you become calmer and have a greater clarity of focus?

Have you noticed when you truly believe something will happen your worries melt away and/or are replaced by feelings of certainty and confidence?

For example, consider situations where you have been confused…situations where you face many options and are trying to make an important decision.  In these situations, you consider and weigh some options. You deliberate. You decide. And, sometimes your thinking produces an incredibly clear decision, backed by not just decisiveness but also a belief that the actions to follow will result in achievement of the desired goal.

Of course, this does not happen with all of your decisions. However, it does happen for some. And, when you fully believe in the outcome - would you not agree - the successful result is almost guaranteed?  When your decisions are backed by strong belief, your confidence is bolstered, you have greater peace of mind, your actions are definite, and success inevitably follows.

Belief is the prime ingredient, the catalyst for results.

Stated another way…

"Belief is the thermostat that regulates what we accomplish in life."

David J Schwartz, 'The Magic of Thinking BIG' (1959…2015 audio book)

***

Belief enables us to accomplish:

  • Success – achievement of our goals
  • Confidence – an essential trait of character
  • Peace of Mind – which allows us to enjoy our successes, learn from our errors, and accept other people’s frailties

***

Napoleon Hill said...

“What the mind can conceive and believe the mind can achieve.”

[What a wonderful thought to keep top of mind...always!]

Tags:

Abundance | Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Beyond Business | Emotions & Feelings @ Work | Hero Worship | Thought Tweets | Wisdom: Surviving the Test of Time

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Thinking Big, without being hairy or audacious

by Rick Baker
On Oct 12, 2016

Hairy means covered in hair.

Audacious at best means taking surprisingly bold risks and at worst being impudent and disrespectful.

It seems some people buy into big, hairy audacious business goals. I do not.

Firstly, I struggle to see the value excess hair contributes to goals. Secondly, by definition, audacity brings surprising risks and that can be not just off-putting but also unnecessary. These things disrupt relationships and destroy peace of mind. So, I don't buy into the merits of hairy and/or audacious goals. [Notice - I did not rant on about the emotional impact of dooming people to fail.] Again, I don't buy into the merits of big, hairy and audacious goals.

However, I do support the concept of big goals.

Big goals give us reasons to stretch, to learn, to grow...and growth is an essential part of successful businesses and successful lives. Also, I believe [all else being equal] big goals contribute positively to mental health and add both interest and vigor to life.

So – let’s embrace big goals, the worthy effort they nurture and the growth and peace of mind they bring.

 

Footnote

For another quasi-tirade against BHAGs...

...and another.

 

Tags:

Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Emotions & Feelings @ Work | Goals - SMARTACRE Goals

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