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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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Are You Superior to Circumstances?

by Rick Baker
On Jul 9, 2015

”Our main thinking habit is to analyse situations so that we can recognize standard situations and then apply standard answers.”

Edward de Bono

`The Six Value Medals`, (2005)

 

As you analyse Situations, do not limit yourself by assuming they are 'standard'...explore and see if there are important nuances that deviate from familiar patterns:

  • direct your attention toward the key parts of the Situation [the People, the place, the level of urgency, the 'props', the background noise, etc.]
  • compare those parts, looking for similarities - the parts that fit a pattern you recognize
  • compare those parts again, looking for differences - the parts that do not fit a pattern you recognize 
  • look for the parts that catch and pull at your attention...they can be the most-important aspects of the Situation
  • set logic aside and take some time to focus your attention on your gut feel
  • use your special insights to fully appreciate the value contained in the situation/circumstances

Strive to identify Situations that contain special circumstances…special circumstances that serve as catalysts for your unique talents and gifts. Be confident in your ability to either rise above problems and grasp hold of opportunities. Be confident in your ability to customize your exceptional contributions in reaction to the signals you [alone] receive as you analyse Situations.


And always remember…


”Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstance.”

Bruce Barton 

American Author & Politician (1886-1967)

 

 

 

Footnote:  

”Circumstances - what are circumstances? I make circumstances.” Napoleon Bonaparte

When the going gets tough...[you must tell] the tough [People how to] get going.

by Rick Baker
On Mar 17, 2015

Talk's cheap. And, slogans like "When the going gets tough the tough get going" are at best mildly encouraging and at worst annoying.

While People generally want to succeed after the going gets tough, most People have never received 'use-able' advice on how to make that happen.

There are many strategies and systems for dealing with tough People and tough Situations [i.e., Situations involving, of course, People]. There are complex pictures and laborious processes for handling complaints, being assertive, and delivering crucial conversations. Most of these strategies and systems are too complicated, too convoluted, and far too 'artificial' for most people to embrace.

 

There is a better way...not just a better way, a better & simpler way...a way that is not contrived.

To cover challenges of tough People and tough Situations, Mark Weber taught me one of the most valuable lessons I have ever learned...


This area of business - dealing with tough People and tough Situations - is such an important facet of business [and life]...it warrants its own Master Rule.

Business Contains Only 3 Things and why not Seek Simple?

 

 

Tags:

Business Contains Only 3 Things | Master Rules | Seeking Simple! | Spirited Leaders

Influence is the Essence of Leadership

by Rick Baker
On Jan 14, 2015

 

 

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Do You Want To Expand Your Insight Power?

by Rick Baker
On Dec 24, 2014

Entrepreneurs have deal-doing insight.

Good salespeople have deal-doing Insight, which can be defined as:

  • a natural, deep capacity to understand people and situations,
  • a tuned intuition that identifies patterns & trends, and
  • an ability to see gaps and know ways to fill them.

True entrepreneurs and top-notch salespeople possess a set of natural talents that work together to create insight strength.

As one example:

Consider Ideation and Intellection...the ability to imagine ideas and the ability to think about and understand ideas. These are two distinct aspects of Talent: that is, to a degree they can be viewed as distinct. Ideation and Intellection are 'intertwined'. Many people tend to be 'set' in one mode or the other. As a result - few people possess the ability to shut off Intellection in order to free up Ideation. Few people possess the ability to set aside judgment and replace it with open-mindedness or free-flowing creativity. Indeed, very few people can switch back and forth between Ideation and Intellection. Most people get stuck in thought ruts...thought habits.

Q: Can a person develop Insight Strength?

A: Absolutely - Yes!

Here's a great way to start - read some of Edward de Bono's work.

Applaud curiosity.

Spend more time with inwords.

Remember - deal-doing insight can be converted into fortunes. 

 

New Things are the key to interesting and positive work experiences.

Some people are happy performing the routine day-to-day work. Some are not.

by Rick Baker
On Oct 14, 2014

Some people are happy performing the routine day-to-day things in life, including routine work. Other people yearn for more variety in their work.

The people who yearn for more variety tend to talk about their desires. The people who are satisfied with the status tend to talk less. When desires are communicated, each type of person tends to discount or shrug off the desires of the other.

People who are happy performing routine day-to-day work tend to resist change and oppose innovation. People who seek more variety tend to be curious and inventive. When ideas are discussed, each type of person has difficulty understanding the views of the other.

And worse, these opposing views about the value of routine and not-routine work often generate never-ending problems. These problems can cause businesses to sputter, stall, and become entrenched in poor performance.

Perhaps, these fundamental differences are responsible for most business failures?

Certainly, these fundamental differences are the root cause of many interpersonal clashes. Interpersonal clashes eat up energy, demotivate, and in some cases lead to business failures.

About eating up energy…

People energize one another. One good example is the thing we call team spirit. Team spirit exists when people are like-minded and share a drive to succeed. When team spirit is present, ‘mutual-motivation’ leads to harmonious thought and action, which cause positive momentum to build and teams to do better.

People eat up one another’s energy. Examples range from co-workers who visit with interruptions to discourteous sales clerks to road rage. People are prone to mirror other’s behaviour: road rage is contagious. People are prone to react negatively when others behave negatively: fight and flight reactions are part of our genetic make-up.

We have 2 choices:

  1. We can eat up one another’s energy…leaving insufficient energy to do productive work.
  2. We can energize one another…building energy to expand productive work.

The choice is clear.

People need to understand their differences. People need to communicate about their differences. People need to buy into shared goals.

People need to help one another satisfy different needs.

Using better communication, people need to figure out ways to accomplish both routine and not-routine work. 

People in corrals

by Rick Baker
On Oct 9, 2014

Situations can corral you.  Much like corrals help tame and control spirited horses, situations can alter your behaviour and your thinking. Corralled behaviour and thinking: it can be a very good thing; it can be a very bad thing.

Consider, for example, the situation where you're thinking is corralled into accepting you lead a hectic life and so you are 'too busy'.  If you truly believe you are too busy then you will think and behave like you are too busy. Then the I-am-too-busy mindset becomes your self-confining corral. 

Tags:

Business Contains Only 3 Things | I'm too busy! - I don't have time!

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