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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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How a leader can help to change people's attitudes and behaviour

by Rick Baker
On Aug 4, 2010
 
…the following set of suggestions caught my attention:
  
How a leader can help to change people's attitudes and behaviour
  1. Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
  2. Call attention to people's mistakes indirectly.
  3. Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
  4. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
  5. Let the other person save face.
  6. Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise.
  7. Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
  8. Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
  9. Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.
Point 6 includes a recommendation Dale Carnegie repeats frequently:
 
Be hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise.
 
Now, well into the 21st Century, numerous folks teach this sort of advice. So, sets of suggestions such as those above probably do not stand out as particularly innovative or novel. However, when we consider Dale Carnegie was adventuring into this territory during the first quarter of the 20th Century…it is interesting to wonder how this sort of advice was received when he first provided it.
 
Carnegie’s 1937 classic, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” was a major success, a bestseller.
 
So, we don’t have to wonder if people bought the book…but, how readily did those who bought the book practice what Carnegie recommended?

Tags:

Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Change: Creating Positive Change

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Sales Tweet #13

by Rick Baker
On Aug 4, 2010
Sales Tweet #13 Ernest Seller asked for some referrals and his Client gave him the names of 3 clinics.
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
Sometimes his Clients are mean to Ernest Seller. It isn't clear whether or not this registers with Ernest. Certainly, it doesn't register very much because it doesn't faze him in the slightest. And, Ernest has a weak spot. Actually, he has many but this is just one Sales Tweet so we can't get into that sort of volume or detail. Again - Ernest has this weak spot. Often he misunderstands his Clients. In this situation, the Client thought Ernest would be really put out when he heard the names of 3 clinics. To the contrary, Ernest didn't want to have to explain the Client's error so he thanked the Client profusely and put the 3 clinic names in a file for future reference.

Tags:

Thought Tweets | Ernest Seller

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Knowledge Is (Not) Power

by Rick Baker
On Aug 3, 2010
For some time I have had a pet peeve with that saying, “Knowledge is Power”.
 
At best, knowledge is potential power.
 
I know the purist philosopher-types can opine here: an expanse of knowledge will provide the terrain for enlightenment and enlightenment will set you free. And, is or is not enlightened freedom nothing other than pure power?
 
But, in business, we have to combine some skilled action with our knowledge.
 
And, to oversee that skilled action, we have to blend in thinking…thinking ahead – let’s call that planning.
 
Of knowledge and thought, thought is more closely linked to power.
 
So Thought is Power is closer to fact.
 
However, in business, thought on its own isn’t of much value.
 
Skilled action is required.
 
 
Thought, when coupled with specialized knowledge and skilled action, is power.

Tags:

Beyond Business

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Sales Tweet #12

by Rick Baker
On Aug 3, 2010
Sales Tweet #12 Ernest Seller gets no respect. When he tried to role play, his sales training class asked for a new actor.
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
Ernest Seller really stands out in class. He has stood out in class since his first days of pre-school. He has this annoying sense of humour that regularly gets him into trouble. He is convinced he knows very, very much and he does not possess even one ounce of shyness. He gets a little carried away in class. So, throughout his school days Ernest rubbed his teachers and his classmates the wrong way. Now, even though he is a man of about 40 years of age, he still rubs people the wrong way whenever he gets into those sales training sessions.

Tags:

Thought Tweets | Ernest Seller

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Sales Tweet #11

by Rick Baker
On Aug 2, 2010
Sales Tweet #11 Ernest Seller gets no respect. He asked his Client how he likes his coffee. His Client said, "Alone".
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
This week we are introducing Ernest Seller. Over time, we will help you get a clear picture of Ernest. This week, to start the process we are dealing with the fact that, like Rodney Dangerfield, Ernest gets no respect.

Tags:

Thought Tweets | Ernest Seller

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Sales Tweet #10

by Rick Baker
On Jul 30, 2010
Sales Tweet #10 Ah Friday. Who helped you this week? Call 1 or 2. Surprise them. Let them know what they did. Thank them.
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
This message is along the same line as Sales Tweet #5…Friday afternoon is a good time to set aside 30 or 60 minutes to thank everyone who has helped you. Try calling them and thanking them that way. If they are not able to talk then write the thank you note. Resist the temptation to leave a message...while that's better than nothing...it isn't much better...messages are not too impressive. And, of course, there are far better ways to thank people than placing phone conversations or sending thank-you notes. You can create a long list of them.

Tags:

Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions | Sales | Thought Tweets

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