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by Rick Baker
On Feb 14, 2012
Some business people Plan Their Work & Work Their Plan. These people feel most comfortable when they have spent the time to plan before they act. These people feel confident because their plan-then-work approach to business has been successful. They expect there is a good chance success will repeat itself.
Other business people Take Each Day As It Comes. These people feel comfortable about their abilities and see no need to spend much time planning. These people feel confident because their day-by-day approach to business has been successful. They expect there is a good chance success will repeat itself.
There is one more group of business people: people who are not particularly comfortable or confident. They, for one reason or another, receive no particular forward-guidance or positive-direction from their past experiences. They feel, at best, acceptance of today's business-at-hand. Similarly, they feel, at best, acceptance of the fact they will experience tomorrow's business-at-hand. They feel no particular need to plan. They obtain no particular gratification from work actions.
Self-development experts and business gurus teach support Plan Your Work & Work Your Plan.
I am not aware of any business guru who teaches Take Each Day As It Comes.
I have written a number of articles on this topic...for example, Strategic Planning - Why Bother!
I know, and am fascinated by, a very-successful business leader who favours Take Each Day As It Comes.
I learn everything I can about planning.
Here are a few things I have learned:
- Napoleon Hill may have been the first to write the phrase "Plan the Work and Work the Plan"...in his classic self-development bestseller 'Think and Grow Rich' (1937).
- Experts have identified 'Plan' as distinct activity linked to the pre-frontal cortex of the human brain....Executive BrainSmarts.
- Planning provides an opportunity to think through the possible scenarios and possible actions before they are performed...optimizing the use of talents and skills...and developing a mindset that understands we are not limited to accepting circumstances and situations, to a degree we can create circumstances and situations.
- There are many ways to approach planning: if you want to inject some creativity then I recommend Edward de Bono...for example, Six Thinking Hats.
Footnote:
I just re-read Brain Tracy's 2003 book GOALS! [and I recommend this book]
In GOALS!, Brian Tracy provides the following answers to the question - Why Plan?
- To Organize your thinking about the key issues.
- To think through the Actions before you begin.
- To allow thorough discussion in order to identify flaws and say What if?
- To identify weaknesses
- To identify Strengths and Opportunities
- To focus time and money on those 1 or 2 vital things that are essential
- To save Time, money, and Energy
by Rick Baker
On Feb 10, 2012
Thought Tweet #410 Good Habits contribute to our betterment and take us toward our Goals.
The Thinking Behind the Tweet
That's a Spirited Leaders' definition. And, Spirited Leaders thinks People Only Do 3 Things: Good Habits, Bad Habits, and New Things.
by Rick Baker
On Feb 10, 2012
Have you ever stopped to think about negativity?
I mean - have you ever set aside 30 minutes or so to consider what negativity does and the many forms negativity takes.
An Introduction to What Negativity Does
- It consumes and wastes our precious personal-energy.
- It is contagious, affecting one then infecting other people...wasting their personal-energies.
- If you believe in the Law of Attraction then negativity attracts more negativity and causes negative outcomes.
The Forms Negativity Takes
We do not have to think and do these negative things.
We do them because they are part of human nature. We do them because many of us were not born with the gift of self-monitoring and self-regulation....so, if we want to be less negative then we must learn how to do it. And, learning how to be less negative takes work and discipline. It is a skill.
Being less negative is a skill we can learn if we choose to.
by Rick Baker
On Feb 2, 2012
INITIATE.
Few people excel at it.
Why?
Probably because, at some point in their lives, they embraced once-burned-twice-shy thinking. Or maybe they succumbed to the criticism of some well-meaning authority figure.
Really, it doesn't matter why many people struggle to INITIATE.
What matters is, regardless of the past, people can learn how to overcome their reluctance to INITIATE.
Here are a couple of suggestions on how to help people INITIATE:
- Understand, at least, the basics about the human brain. Understand the executive functions of the brain1. Understand, INITIATE is one of the executive functions. For the most part, our brains operate along habit lines. INITIATE can be a habit. Or, it can not be a habit. That's a matter of choice. Like any other habit, it takes time to build the INITIATE habit.
- Give yourself an INITIATE pep talk...or, better still, let Seth Godin2 give you an INITIATE pep talk. Check out his recent audio-book 'Poke The Box'. In this book, Seth champions a new way to do business under 7 Imperatives3. Seth puts INITIATIVE at the top of the list of his 7 Imperatives.
And, of course, practice INITIATIVE...focus...think...make decisions...take Actions.
Sure, you will make more mistakes...that's the way to learn.
INITIATE: that INSPIRES people!
Footnotes:
- A link to an article about Executive BrainSmartsTM INITIATE.
- A link to Seth Godin's video-introduction to his 2011 book 'Poke The Box'
- Seth Godin's 7 Imperatives: (1) Be aware of the Market, (2) Be Educated, (3) Be Connected so People Trust you, (4) Be Consistent, (5) Build an Asset, (6) Be Productive, & most-important (7) Take INITIATIVE.
by Rick Baker
On Jan 26, 2012
Business Leaders: do you have a Selling Purpose?
Here is the way Spencer Johnson1 presented this concept in 1985:
"MY SELLING PURPOSE
is to help people get
the good feelings they want
about what they bought
and about themselves."
He went on to add:
"I quickly reduce my stress
because I no longer try
to get people to do
what they don't want to do.
When I sell On Purpose,
it's like swimming downstream."
(I did not add the underlining...that was in the book.)
Now, that advice can apply to:
- Sales people,
- Leaders,
- Everyone who wants to sell an idea, &
- Everyone who wants to inspire other People.
I propose it be applied to all 4.
Leaders need Purpose...and they should do things On Purpose.
Leaders need to explain their Purpose to the People who are following. And, Leaders need to repeat, repeat, repeat...ideally, using sticky stories.
Leaders should aim to have less stress...that applies to them and to their followers...that only makes good sense...Right? Purposeful, focused action generates less stress than haphazard, unfocused fire-fighting...Right?
And, the bottom line...
Footnote:
by Rick Baker
On Jan 24, 2012
I was about 30 years old when I learned that specific actions can be taken to build Confidence. I learned this from books, not directly from people.
Perhaps, that's unusual? Perhaps, most people learn about plans and actions for Confidence at a much earlier age? Perhaps, most people learn about plans and actions for Confidence through direct conversations with other people?
I did not...plans and actions for Confidence building just wasn't something people I knew discussed. And, it wasn't something I thought through and figured out on my own.
Likely, my experience is not singular; I expect some, perhaps many, people do not know planned actions can bolster Confidence.
This Thought Post is for those people...and for others who may need a reminder.
There are many ways to build Confidence.
Here is a summary-introduction to one example, from the work of Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Les Hewitt in their book 'The Power of Focus', (2000)1.
Six Confidence-Building Strategies
- Every day remind yourself that you did some things well: give yourself a mental pep talk at the beginning of the day
- Read inspiring biographies and autobiographies: build a file of the stories that inspire you most
- Be thankful: focus on the benefits you already enjoy
- Build excellent support around you: excellent relationships will boost you
- Push yourself to accomplish short-term goals: get things done
- Do something for yourself every week: celebrate your accomplishments
***
Confidence is one of Spirited Leaders Values. When Confidence is healthy good things happen.
Here is a link to Spirited Leaders' definition of Confidence.
Here is a link to one of our favourite inspiring stories about Confidence.
Footnote:
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