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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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5 more ways to Influence

by Rick Baker
On Jan 30, 2014

Take Immediate Steps to Improve Communication

When communication gets off track, straying from the desired direction, good leaders work to improve communication so it returns to the right track. Good leaders do not let interpersonal conflicts fester. They know success relies on a level of harmony between followers. So, when dysfunction is evident they address it. Good leaders communicate to ensure their followers' harmony and focus.

Design Tools to Help People

Tools serve people...making their lives easier, making their lives more productive, adding quality to their lives...assisting them as they build. Good leaders know the power inherent in tools. Good leaders ensure their people have access to good tools. And, to maximize opportunities for performance good leaders ensure their people have customized tools...creative, customized tools.

Focus on Solutions

Leaders see solutions. Solutions and solution-thinking are around the essence of leadership. Good leaders connect with followers who are like minded about solutions. Some followers are naturally solution-oriented, others need to learn that problems are the routes to solutions, growth, and opportunities. Leaders do 2 things to promote solution-orientation: they lead by example...and...they teach.

Seek Simple 

When people go about business things can get complicated and that can happen quickly. Good leaders know the difference between simple, complicated, and complex. Good leaders conserve their energy, saving it for the complicated and complex things. One strategy that ensures energy is conserved so it can be put to best use is Seeking Simple...separating wheat from chaff...helping followers do the same.

Understand Business Contains Only 3 Things: People, Process, & Situations

"People, Processes, & Situations" is an example of seeking simple.  Good leaders know success is all about people...so good leaders invest time connecting with, serving, mentoring, and strengthening good people. Good leaders ensure processes [including tools] serve people, helping people convert actions into results. Good leaders know situations have a most-powerful effect on behaviour, so they plan for and construct situations.


 

Thought Tweet #917

by Rick Baker
On Jan 21, 2014

Thought Tweet #917 Where people connect with IT Systems: that's a place where huge improvements hide under people's complaints. 

 

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

When I hear people complaining about IT hardware/software/network I immediately dig deep to find the hidden improvements & opportunities. When an IT problem is solved it almost always removes a people problem. So, 2 problems get fixed at the People-Process interface...and that opens doors for opportunities.

Business Contains Only 3 Things: People, Process, & Situations.

When the situation looks like a problem at the people-process interface...know P=2S+O is the route mindset.

Tags:

Business Contains Only 3 Things | Solutions & Opportunities | Thought Tweets

Thought Tweet #916

by Rick Baker
On Jan 20, 2014

Thought Tweet #916 Too busy...no time...moving too quickly...so...missing connections. 

 

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

Missing connections to people

Missing connections to problems

Missing connections to solutions

Missing connections to opportunities

Tags:

I'm too busy! - I don't have time! | Solutions & Opportunities | Thought Tweets

Thought Tweet #907

by Rick Baker
On Jan 7, 2014

Thought Tweet #907 Your boss has weaknesses; so you have opportunities.

 

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

Many people complain about the boss. That's the norm.

Few people realize the boss' weaknesses are prime routes to opportunities. That's unfortunate.

Timing is everything & Everything in its time

by Rick Baker
On Jan 2, 2014

Timing is everything. That's a saying most of us are familiar with. We hear this expression as a celebration statement when pinpoint timing has helped someone achieve a success. Or we hear it when someone has failed at an activity and the blame is being placed on acting too slowly and missing a 'time-window of opportunity'.

Everything in its time. That's another saying most of us have heard. Usually, we hear it when someone is trying to help an impatient person slow down thoughts or actions. One interpretation of the message is - instead of pressing and pushing for what you want now, take time to think and delay your actions until the likelihood of success is greater.

There are numerous other sayings involving our most-precious commodity - Time.

Some examples:

  • Time flies.
  • Time is money.
  • Time waits for no one.
  • The time is right.
  • Time is of the essence.
  • Time heals all wounds.
  • Time is on my side.
People place value in time. People want time. People give time a personality then they have a personal relationship with Time.  They give Time power, even super-power.
 
People extol Time. People admonish Time.
 
People treat Time like a scapegoat. 
 
On top of all these things, there's an insidious time-mindset that captures many people. It's an excuse mindset that guarantees these people a life of mediocrity, failure, or catastrophic failure. The culprit is the mindset, "I don't have time". Some people say this or similar phrases like "I'm too busy" so frequently they brainwash themselves into a fearful-hectic existence. And this fearful-hectic existence is contagious: first it infects family members, then friends, then co-workers.
 
The mindset "I don't have time. I'm too busy." is nothing but a flawed-thinking Bad Habit
 
The best way to cure this Bad Habit is to stop saying it. When your thoughts find themselves in this Bad Habit territory: (1) control your tongue and (2) replace your thoughts with a new thought..."Yes, Yes, Yes, I DO HAVE TIME!"

Tags:

I'm too busy! - I don't have time! | Solutions & Opportunities

Thought Tweet #900

by Rick Baker
On Dec 27, 2013

Thought Tweet #900 The more you hurry the more the Opportunities pass you by.

 

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

Many people have a self-image of a too-busy person..."I am too busy to do that!

When Opportunities seek out people to visit, they pretty much avoid all these too-busy people.

Opportunities prefer to visit with people who have some time to spend with them, some time to get to understand them, some time to hold their hands and walk with them....then run with them.

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