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by Rick Baker
On Mar 14, 2017
Common sense tells us:
- Most people look for a fair deal, where both parties exchange value,
- Some people look to cheat others, heads I win - tails you lose, and
- Some people look to help others, expecting little or nothing in return.
Those three things probably fit nicely in a bell curve, where the norm is business people exchanging fair value with one another.
That's the viewpoint here: most business people do business with one another in an effort to obtain some value and deliver some value in exchange.
People exchanging value - that's the essence of business.
If you agree with that then to grow business you must increase the exchange of value. And, as you work to increase the exchange of value you will do better if you know how both parties define the value they seek and the value they deliver.
Most business people just scratch the surface of value exchange. Sales people tend to know the value they think they're delivering. Purchasing people tend to know the value they think they're receiving. Sales people may make a serious effort to try to determine what the purchasing people want to receive. Purchasing people may make a serious effort to try to understand what the sales people want to receive. But it's highly unlikely their thoughts go beyond those things. For example, sales people do not understand what value the sales people who work at the purchasing person's company are looking to receive or deliver. And, vice-versa, purchasing people do not understand what value the purchasing people who work at the sales person's company are looking to receive or deliver.
Even worse, sales people do not understand the value the purchasing people at their organization are trying to receive and deliver and purchasing people don't know the value their organization's sales people are trying to receive and deliver.
People tend to know what they want and what they're prepared to deliver in exchange for it. However, they have a much smaller understanding of what other people want and are trying to deliver in exchange for it.
This applies within companies. This applies between companies. This applies between people.
Some years ago we addressed this with our Clients' Clients Philosophy.
Here are the starting-point questions …
- What value do you want to receive from people at other companies?
- What value do you want to deliver to people at other companies?
- What value do other people in your company want to receive from people at other companies?
- What value do people in other companies want to receive from other people in your company?
***
People who possess an ongoing curiosity around questions about what other people value have the opportunity to excel in business, to excel in interpersonal relationships, and to deliver and receive tremendous value.
Some people are too busy. So, they don't get these things…and they don’t get most of the other things they want.
by Rick Baker
On Mar 13, 2017
When alpha dogs collide you see raising of hackles and you hear snarls & barks...then comes the gnashing of teeth and to-and-fro attacks...much noise, much heated action. Then, sooner or later the battle subsides.
Tied to all this -
Of course, as Napoleon Hill made so clear during the last years of his life - Ultimately, Nothing Matters. The day will soon come when the snarls and barks and even the painful yelps subside into memory.
Ultimately, Nothing Matters.
Regardless, 'ultimately' does not apply to the current situation. The current situation is - now...and...now, right this moment, Many Things Matter...especially, if you have in your mind Personal Values and Personal Goals...let alone Personal Rules, codes of conduct, morals, etc. The stronger your convictions in these areas, the more things matter.
If you do not believe me then just ask a couple of alpha dogs. But, take care not to be bitten or at least snapped at during the process.
by Rick Baker
On Mar 9, 2017
Gut Feel: that's when you have a very strong feeling that isn't backed by logic...like an instinct...a special gift arriving as an insight or intuition
There's lots of advice about gut feel...
- it's the true key to success
- the gift of the creative and the entrepreneurial
- an overrated and flawed phenomenon
- something that's likely to get you into trouble
So, what should you do? Should you follow your gut feel? Should you be wary of it? Should you pick and choose when to follow and when to ignore your gut feel? If that's best then how do you go about doing that?
Some time ago, we spent time defining emotions.
Emotions, the way we define them, provide a clue on how to deal with gut feel.
In summary, emotions are natural protective mechanisms - built-in genetic mechanisms. They are warning signals. They happen quickly and unconsciously. After they arrive, thoughts follow...either negative thoughts or positive thoughts...stronger rather than weaker thoughts.
If a gut feel is flavoured with emotion then we need to step back and think about why this is happening before we follow the gut feel. Intuition and insight do not have to be flavoured by emotion. Intuition and insight can happen without emotion. So, when we have a special insight or intuition we need to consider whether or not it is coupled with emotion.
If the gut feel is coupled with emotion then it could be:
- A Hunger - simply put, it might only be something you crave. If your special insight or intuition is crave-based then you are likely to ignore facts, refuse intelligent input, and make decision errors.
- A Bad Habit - ask yourself if this gut feel is aligned with your long-term goals. If it is not then it is wrapped up in bad habit.
- A Gift of Insight and Intuition - however, that will be a rarity.
On the other hand, if your gut feel is coupled with feeling rather than emotion then give it some quality attention. It may be true intuition or true insight. Then you will want to heed it and let it add to your life.
by Rick Baker
On Mar 7, 2017
Confidence is a personal thing.
There is no reason to design your self-confidence in a way that fits someone else’s viewpoint or rules.
Your self-confidence can and should be as big as you want it to be…including believing you’re better than anyone else. If you choose to think that way, you will be in good company:
- consider how Muhammad Ali felt and thought when he was in his prime1,2
- think about Wayne Gretzky – would any of us have told Gretzky to stop thinking he was the best?
- think about Napoleon who changed the world
Now, some people confuse confidence with cockiness/hubris/conceit…
Perhaps cockiness does correlate with confidence; perhaps, on average, confident people are cockier than people who are not confident?
Regardless: cockiness is not about what you believe; cockiness is about how you behave. You can choose to be confident without choosing to be cocky. And, confidence without cockiness is a magnetic, inspiring combination.
On the one hand -
No question – sometimes highly-confident behaviour can be off-putting to other people.
On the other hand -
No question – thinking you are better than anyone else can result in Olympic gold medals, putting a man on the moon…and numerous examples of business brilliance.
It seems to me…
Champions and serious contenders must believe they are better than anyone else. Otherwise they are doomed to not be champions or contenders for very long. This applies in the big picture [the major political stages, the premier-level sports stages, etc] and it applies on smaller-scale stages [your chess club, your karaoke contests, etc].
People with lesser ambitions should not impress their non-champion or non-contender beliefs on champions or other more-confident competitors.
Footnotes:
- I have special memories of Muhammad Ali. He ignited my life-long interest in the sweet sport. I remember, when I was very young, attending fight night at our local arena...watching Ali on the big screen, listening to my Dad and his buddies root for the other guy [ex. Joe Frasier]...and all the time wondering why I wanted Ali to win...and wondering what funny things Ali would say to the reporters after he won the fight. Sure, Ali was both confident and cocky. For me, his cockiness was a small thing to endure to witness his tremendous personality and humour...and, of course, his champion-level boxing performances.
- In December 1999 Muhammad Ali received some rather special recognition. Here's a couple of examples: he was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of The Century and BBC Sports Personality of the Century.
by Rick Baker
On Mar 6, 2017
A couple of years ago I wrote an article titled, We are too tolerant of conflict!
Now, I’d like to re-title that article, “We are too tolerant of bad conflict!”
The 2015 article contained:
Often, we find ourselves in situations of conflict because:
1. we lack self-confidence and, as a result of that, we behave either too timidly or too aggressively and
2. we are too lazy to figure out how to avoid conflict or nip conflict in the bud when we know it has commenced.
We are too tolerant of conflict.
Some people even promote conflict in the workplace because they view it as a good, healthy and productive way to communicate, make decisions, and delegate tasks.
That's interesting in many negative directions!
The results the conflict promoters achieve at their businesses prove it is a high-risk-low-reward strategy.
Recently a number of friends have raised the topic of workplace conflict. It is interesting to note their viewpoints have all been in the zone of promoting conflict in the workplace because they view it as good, healthy and productive. As these conversations swirled, I listened intently. In particular, I listened for examples that would help me understand, specifically, ‘How’ good, healthy, and productive workplace conflict occurred…or, better still, was orchestrated or managed.
Yes – at the conceptual level diversity of thought/opinion is good, healthy and productive. And, we know when the stakes are high and emotions are heating up diversity of thought/opinion can lead to conflict. So, [the good thing] diversity of thought/opinion can lead to workplace conflict. Whether that workplace conflict is good or bad depends on a number of things. As examples:
- Tolerance – in the event one or more of the conflicting parties is intolerant of the other party [in any way, including general prejudices or specific ‘negative’ experiences] it is highly unlikely the conflict will lead to good things.
- Self-confidence – as introduced above, individual’s self-confidence is a critical success factor in situations of workplace conflict...and in life. Self-confidence is not a constant: like Goldilocks’ porridge, sometimes it is too hot, sometimes it is too cold, and sometimes it is just right. When self-confidence is too hot or bloated conflict tends to escalate into unproductive territory. When self-confidence is too cold or injured conflict tends to reach a unilateral resolution and disagreement remains but is hidden, stewing on a back burner.
Tolerance and self-confidence are but two considerations. There are many others. If we want workplace conflict to generate positive, constructive results that take us toward our desired goals then we must do much more than just talk about the value embedded in diversity of thought/opinion and the merits of workplace conflict. We must dig deep to understand the factors that, likely before the beginning of conflict but definitely by the end of the conflict, determine whether conflict time and effort was well or poorly spent. We must understand the Why behind conflict-thought/opinions and know the How of guiding conflict-action before we can pave the path for valuable and productive results. And, there’s no better starting point than self-confidence, beginning with analysis of self.
by Rick Baker
On Mar 2, 2017
It doesn't matter what you've done or what you know or even who you know.
What matters is what you're going to do next and, of more importance, whether or not people are positively influenced by what you do next.
Sure, from time to time, it's fun to reminisce about the glory days. On the other hand, the glory days are not here again until you make it so. And as you make it so you may not be able to do it the same way it happened the last time.
As Dylan taught us - the times they are a-changin'.
You will need to adapt and accommodate to the current situations.
As Darwin taught us - "Survival goes not to the strongest or the most intelligent but to the one who is most adaptable to change."
Yes, it is true, what you know is important to a degree.
Better stated, what you know contains potential value. Specialized knowledge is of particular value. The extent of the value of your knowledge is determined by your ability to identify opportunities and do constructive things to convert those opportunities into positive changes [desired by other people].
Your future success boils down to how you intend to put your strengths - that is, how you intend to put your talents, knowledge, and skills - to good use in the future.
Your future success depends on whether or not you can positively influence other people to help you achieve the goals you envision.
Your future success depends on what you're going to do next: positive change happens one action-step at a time.
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