Rick Baker Thought Posts
Left Menu Space Holder

About the author

Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

E-mail me Send mail
Follow me LinkedIn Twitter

Search

Calendar

<<  December 2024  >>
MoTuWeThFrSaSu
2526272829301
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
303112345

View posts in large calendar

Recent Comments

Comment RSS

What mental-attitude flavour do you choose: Positivity, Negativity, or Indifference?

by Rick Baker
On May 1, 2017

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

The cornerstone of our personality, our mental attitude, shows up as the general flavour of our thoughts...as illustrated in our actions/behaviour.

Here I go...Telling you about Asking

by Rick Baker
On Apr 20, 2017

I’m telling you that you must cut down on telling people what to do and start asking more questions.

Isn’t that oxymoronic?

Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?

Isn’t that an ego out of control?

Maybe...I don’t think so…could I be wrong?

But, could my ego-denial be due to my attribution bias impairing my perceptions and skewing my judgement?

Regardless, perhaps there is a seed of wisdom in my argument that questions deserve a larger share of your mind-space, your thoughts, and your interactions with people? Perhaps, you can agree your attribution bias causes you to be harsher than required when opining on other people’s work? Perhaps, you can try to step away from your attribution bias and consider asking more questions? Perhaps, you can listen attentively while people respond to your questions? And, perhaps you can observe people more carefully, seeking out their ‘positives’ rather than their ‘negatives’?

Perhaps, you can deliver more pats on all those backs?

People Question Their Bosses’ Decisions [“The Point”]

by Rick Baker
On Apr 13, 2017

I won’t be surprised in the slightest way if you figure The Point is a rather trite point. My argument is – it isn’t a trite point.

The Point is a point worth thinking about.

Here’s where I am coming from…

Some bosses behave as if The Point is not true, or, more accurately, they behave as if it better not be true. Sometimes, we call these people Autocrats. They rule with absolute power. And they are very inclined to make stiff, inflexible rules…Master Rules [i.e., Master Rules under full double entendre].

Some bosses behave as if The Point is true, however, they fight against it every, single workaday of their lives*. Sometimes they are surprised when people question their decisions. Sometimes they get huffy when people question their decisions. Almost always, they feel and show negative emotions when people question their decisions.

Perhaps, these unhelpful reactions illustrate the flaws of those bosses who feel ‘position power’ provides special rights…rights that make their decisions golden?

Putting a finger on your Leadership pulse…

When your decisions are questioned – do you feel negative emotions?

If so, how’s that working for you?

And, how’s that working for the people who follow you?

***

If you are one of those people who question your boss's decisions - do you observe negative reactions?

If so, how's that make you feel?

And, what are you doing to generate better outcomes?

Have you given any thought to The Art of Good Questions?

 

Footnote:

* yes, technically speaking 'workaday' is not a noun...

Do you choose to pay your bills on time?

by Rick Baker
On Mar 16, 2017

You have a choice in business. You can choose to pay your bills on time or you can choose to not pay your bills on time.

As a general rule, people who choose to not pay their bills on time have mediocre if any success in business.

It doesn’t matter if you believe in the law of attraction or not. That isn't what I'm talking about here. I’m talking about observation of successful and not-successful business people.

Successful people – people who enjoy long-term, sustained business success – pay their bills on time.

People who do not pay their bills on time may achieve short-lived business success.

People who do not pay their bills on time, sooner or later, end up failing at business.

Observe your clients – do they pay their bills on time?

Observe your employees [your followers] – do their pay their bills on time?

Observe yourself – do you pay your bills on time?

If not, change that before it becomes the bad habit that kills your chance for meaningful business success.

Are you too busy to know other people’s businesses?

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.

The conflict between long-term desires and short-term gratification

by Rick Baker
On Jan 23, 2017

We use a long list of words including ‘wants’, ‘needs’, ‘desires’, ‘goals’, ‘objectives’, ‘purpose’ and ‘vision’ to describe our thoughts and feelings about the future. It's about our future. It's about the future possibilities and our desires and preferences around those possibilities.

I have posted several articles about these topics, for example, one article about Desires is copied below.

We all have desires: some desires are modest in scope, as in kicking an annoying little habit; other desires are most grandiose, as in making a dent in the universe. 

Our desires are both inwardly-focused and outwardly-focused, although most of us exhibit blind spots in both the internal/intrinsic and external/extrinsic directions. As a general observation, most people fail to place enough onus on internal focus. Their words and their actions illustrate their expectation that external changes will bring the desired outcomes and internal ‘self-changes’ are not necessary. 

For most people, the equation can be as simple as this: 

My Personal Changes + Other People’s Personal Changes = My Desired Outcomes.

Now, I am not saying most people will agree with that equation. In fact, many if not most people will present the opinion that they should, must, and will make personal changes to accomplish their desires. For example, over-drinkers, over-eaters and under-exercisers will acknowledge they could improve their odds of achieving their desires if they could reduce their bad habits and increase their good habits. And, most will say they are prepared to work at these changes. Regardless, study after study confirms people do a very poor job of correcting their behavioural shortcomings by reducing bad habits and expanding good habits. [for example, read the book 'Change Or Die']

Why do people have such trouble giving up bad habits and sustaining good habits?

The simple answer is: for most people the emotional attraction of near-term 'rewards' out-muscles the future 'rewards' tied to long-term desires.

Most people grab gratification when it is available.

Before any of us judges others, we should consider the extent of our own willpower.

Each of us should ask questions like:

  • Are my long-term goals clear?
  • Do I adjust my actions so they align with my long-term goals?
  • Do I have plans to help me reduce bad habits and develop good habits?

 

The following was first published on Oct 22, 2013


Desires

I have noticed in people 4 dominant desires. These desires apply to people in business and to people in general:

1.The desire to vent one’s strength.

2.The desire to feel important.

3.The desire to control.

4.The desire to create things of value.

 

The Desire to Vent One’s Strength

At the philosophical level - Nietzsche considered this to be the #1 human desire, greater than the drive to procreate.

At the day-to-day business level – People who are enthusiastic about their work are working at things that align with their personal talents & strengths; people who are worn down by their work are working at things that do not align with their talents & strengths. Both consciously and subconsciously, people know when their actions are not aligned with their strengths…it tends to bother them and it tends to eat away at their spirit. Their ambition shrinks. Their performance dulls. Their minds wander and their energies shrink.

 

The Desire to Feel Important

At the philosophical level – Dale Carnegie, the self-help pioneer, viewed this as the leading desire. In his lessons and his classic ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ he taught how to influence people by (1) appealing to this basic human desire and (2) not conflicting with this basic human desire…in summary: be hearty in approbation, be lavish with praise, and do not criticize.

At the day-to-day business level – “Constructive Criticism is an Oxymoron”. Criticism can cause behavioural changes; however, those changes are achieved at a cost. “Criticism finds few friends”. Criticism finds people who already recognize their errors. Some of these people have already given themselves a dose of self-criticism…so they don’t benefit and may hold a grudge against the extra dose of outside criticism. Others do not care about their errors and are predisposed to resist external criticism. Criticism finds people who do not recognize they have made an error. There are kinder ways than the use of criticism to educate them about their shortfalls.

 

The Desire to Control

At the psychological level – much has been written about locus of control. Some people believe they have within them an internal ability to control their lives while other people believe their lives are controlled by external factors.

At the day-to-day business level – People with an internal locus of control can be driven and extremely self-motivated. Or they can be more passive. They can appear strong-willed and opinionated…even maverick or renegade. Some react very poorly to authority and rules. They are self-energized. For some reason these people have withstood the criticisms of others and their spirits have survived. People with an external locus of control may be content or they may be discontented...living the life of a victim. Some will be comfortable with authority and rules; some will be subversive. Few, if any, successful business leaders have an external locus of control. Unhappy followers may be displaying the impact of throttled internal locus of control or external locus of control discontent.

 

The Desire to Create Things of Value

I think people are born with natural desire and drive to innovate and create. Psychological studies confirm this and the fact that over time most people become less creative and less willing to try new things.

That’s why entrepreneurs stand out in business. Entrepreneurs have an internal drive to create things of value and that drive survives the beatings placed on it by other people, the bureaucracies, the cruelty of the markets, etc. This desire to create things of value is not isolated to business. We see it in art, we see it in music, and we see it in philanthropy and charitable endeavours.

PS: People's actions provide clues to their desires. However, we cannot jump to conclusions. For example, a resistance to authority or a resistance to change will signal certain possibilities. More work is required to uncover which one of the possibilities is most-accurate. People's words provide clues to people's desires...but, watch what they do at least as much as you listen to what they say.

Copyright © 2012. W.F.C (Rick) Baker. All Rights Reserved.